


Deterrence

by buria



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), Thor (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Canon-Typical Violence, Deaf Clint Barton, Fake Character Death, How Do I Tag, Memory Loss, OC-centric, force fields
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-03-07
Updated: 2016-09-03
Packaged: 2018-03-16 17:20:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 105,695
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3496538
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/buria/pseuds/buria
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Because there needs to be more ladies in the Avengers.</p><p>When New York is attacked during work, Corinne Lin uses her force shield abilities in public to help. Of course, it has consequences.</p><p>No pairings planned right now, OC-centric.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

_Will you protect them?_  
  
The bakery cafe buzzed with chatter, the bell at the door occasionally jingling. Sweet aromas of baked goods filled the air, adding to the warm atmosphere. Here, she would forget anything and delve into her work.  
  
"I'd like a slice of that mango cheesecake. To take out, please," said a customer.  
  
"Of course," replied the woman behind the counter. The grandmother was a regular customer. She reached over for a box and found none. "Sorry, I'll be back in a second, looks like we ran out of boxes."  
  
She headed to storage and spotted them. They were on a high shelf, and she sighed. Looking around and finding nobody else nearby, she flicked her wrist in complicated motions. She smiled in satisfaction as what she wanted slowly slid out from the shelf.  
  
The cardboard box seemed to be supported by nothing as it descended into her ready arms. With it, she went back to the front.  
  
She quickly packaged the cake and tapped at the register. "Okay, that will be-"  
  
Screams resonated from outside the cafe, accompanied by screeches of something not human. The serenity of the cafe diminished as everyone panicked.  
  
"Corinne!" Another person came out of the kitchen in alarm. "What's happening? Holy shi-"  
  
Corinne gasped as she saw alien figures shooting blue energy. An alien turned and aimed towards them. The people in the bakery exclaimed in horror. Instinctively, Corinne threw up a barrier between the outside and the store. Her mind went back to the phone call she got earlier that day.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Corinne Lin. I'm Director Fury from SHIELD."  
  
She almost dropped her chemistry textbook when she recognized the voice. "What do you want from me?"  
  
"Your cooperation should the world come into danger. You owe me a favor, after all."  
  
The shots were reflected away. Everyone muttered in confusion, but Corinne and the woman beside her knew.  
  
The woman turned to Corinne. "Did you?"  
  
"Yeah, " replied Corinne, focusing on maintaining the force field. Her gaze hardened as aliens shot down everyone they saw. Any doubts she has had since the phone call were gone. Nobody, the people she knew like the grandma or the people she didn't know, was getting hurt on her watch. Her voice was steely with resolve. "Beth, I need to go outside."  
  
Beth shook her head. "It's the end of the world out there. What happened to your paranoia of being discovered?"  
  
She stilled at the mention of her greatest fear, but shoved the panic away. "Nobody will remember me in a mess like this. I'll leave this shield up to protect everyone in here. But people are dying outside."  
  
Beth stared at her for a moment before squaring her shoulders. "People, move into the kitchen!" She shouted over the chaos. The customers followed her instructions. "Remember, you can't shield everybody. Come back. No matter how hard I train a newbie, I can't find another you." She said to Corinne.  
  
Corinne laughed and waved at Beth. "See you later."  
  
And she ran outside.

* * *

  
When the hero in stars and stripes first saw it, he had to take a second to look again. Steve Rogers was fighting against the Chitauri, attempting to push them back away from the civilians trying to flee. Police, special ops, and others were helping everywhere, but the figure in purple had caught his eye. Whoever it was, they were a civilian, and he would have ignored the young woman except she was not leaving to a safer place.  
  
"Hey," he shouted over the noise of the fighting, "you need to get out of here!"  
  
She turned to him and shook her head. "I can't." Her eyes flashed to his left, and Steve turned his gaze to where she was looking to see an alien crashing against something invisible right in front of him, and falling back. The captain incapacitated the invader, and looked back to her.  
  
Her hands were not touching the overturned car, but the car lifted and flipped back to its wheels...by itself? The passengers in the car were helped out by her, and they ran in a hurry after giving her their thanks. She nodded then ran off. Captain America blinked in bewilderment but had to return to attacking the Chitauri as they assumed he was distracted and started to attack him. He filed whatever he had witnessed to the back of his mind, focusing on the present battle.  
  
Meanwhile, the young woman ran off to find other people to help. She was scared out of her mind, but she couldn't make another mistake. This time, she was going to do something. Aliens were zapping their weapons everywhere, and so she kept up a defense over her head while she sought out struggling civilians. Occasionally, she would gesture out towards people to give them her shield for protection against falling debris, or the blasts from the alien invaders. She did not want to deplete her strength so quickly, so she was cautious when she was not protected.  
  
No one had stopped to question her yet, and her desire to defend her fellow humans was stronger than her fear of being discovered. Only one person had paid her any mind, and it was the man dressed in bright blue, white, and red. Otherwise, she was safe, for now. Something zoomed overhead, and she moved her defense over her head. She gazed up only to see the self-proclaimed hero Iron Man fly past.  
  
She breathed a sigh of relief. The aliens had been flying around, giving them a huge advantage in the air. Also, the dangerous person who had appeared in Stuttgart a few days ago was probably here, in charge of the whole attack.  
  
"Miss!"  
  
The young woman settled her gaze on another woman in a police uniform. She seemed to have been guiding a group of people to safety. "Yeah?" She replied.  
  
"It would be best if you evacuate-" The police officer paused, hearing something crumble loudly. The woman with the powers heard it too, and instantly detected the source. A building was being grazed by a large, flying whale like alien. The woman immediately expanded the area of her shield, and put it on the side of the building. Widening her stance, she strained to keep the heavy tower from squashing them. A group of people recently evacuated from a bus nearby scurried past where the tower would have fell on, giving the woman only brief glances. She didn't blame them, as she too was scared for her life.  
  
The police officer stared at her, surprised. "How did you?…"  
  
She shook her head and gritted her teeth. The building was too heavy. She had never trained herself with such weight, and her lifted arms shook under the burden. "Could you please move out of the way?"  
  
The other moved out of the way just as a streak of gold, red, and blue sped towards the floating creature. She watched as Iron Man shot at the creature. It was a ghastly thing, that alien. A couple seconds later, she heard a roar that made her hair rise. Her heart thudded in her chest just as loudly as the thundering stomping and destruction she heard next. Whatever was making the noise was not far, and seemed to be coming towards her.  
  
A huge, green but humanoid thing appeared right next to collapsing building. She froze in fear when it fixed its gaze on her. The Hulk. She remembered hearing about him in the news years ago, and she was just stuck to her spot. Hulk regarded her for a moment, and then to the falling building she was holding up. The Hulk's giant hand reached out to lay flat against the building, and to her disbelief, pushed it back upright. He glanced back at her, grinned, then ran off. She could hear him smashing the alien whales and wreaking havoc everywhere. It was a good thing he was on humanity's side.  
  
With the threat of the crashing building gone, she let the giant shield drop. While her arms had been raised, it was only to help her direct her powers. Her shields were really formed mentally, and while her body was tired from running about with her arms up, her mind was more exhausted. She blinked her eyes hard as she felt her brain getting lethargic.  
  
Her vision was starting to get unfocused, and she fought to stay awake. Her mind was telling her to sleep and restore her energy. But she couldn't, while she could still help. The woman jogged down the streets of New York, searching for anyone needing help.

* * *

  
In times of a crisis, your true self comes out.   
  
Whatever you do under pressure, it says a lot about who you are.   
  
When it first happened, she was only a child. Her father was driving her home from school like any other day. One moment she talking about what she did in class, and then she heard the petrifying screech oftires. She looked to the source of the noise to see a car coming right at them with no sign of stopping. The girl threw up her arms instinctually to protect herself.   
  
The car had crashed right into their car, turning it into a mess of wrecked metal and shattered glass-except for where she sat. A small area surrounding her looked the same as it had been seconds before. She was physically unharmed, because the perimeter around her was not affected by the collision.   
  
Her father, who had sat in the driver's seat, was severely injured. She and any witnesses did not take notice of her lack of injury in the panicked chaos that followed. It was only when the situation had settled down did she give it some more thought. The young girl figured it out to an extent.   
  
She felt guilty.   
  
The next time it happened, it was also subconscious. It occurred a few years later during a not so life threatening game of dodge ball. The sponge ball had been aimed at her head, and she wasn't fast enough to dodge or block it-using her body. Some force had appeared and deflected the ball away again. It hit someone else, but she looked around to see if anyone had seen what happened. Nobody did in the excitement of the game.   
  
She did it another time when another person tripped over their feet and was about to fall down the school's many steps. A barely noticeable protective screen had appeared underneath the classmate, bouncing them back upright. They shrugged it off as managing to get themselves balanced at the last second, but she knew.   
  
Over the course of several years, she began to research. She read fictional stories, theories, and such about such abilities. Her ability was best identified by the term force field:  a barrier made up of energy. She tested her limits and pushed them further. At first, it was just small force shields not bigger than a piece of paper. She made it exist by imagining the energy force-how it would look and every particle that made it up. It took all of her concentration and stamina the first time.   
  
She varied the size and shape of the force, and tried moving it around. It worked eventually, and it resulted in many objects being knocked off shelves in the beginning. In the privacy of her bedroom, she honed her powers and made her aim more precise. She wanted to be prepared for the next crisis, and so she would not make the same mistake.   
  
The biggest crisis she had so far, though, was now. 

* * *

  
She continued randomly lending her force shield to people throughout the city. An alien aircraft flew way too close to her head, and she regarded it more closely. It flew unsteadily a  figure of black and red seemed to be struggling with gaining control of it. As she watched, the figure figured it out and rose up onto the rooftop of a particular tower.    
  
The woman would have dismissed it, if she had not noticed another alien aircraft had been following and shooting at it. Additionally, the beam of light that created the source of aliens seemed to come from there. She had a moment of hesitation, but she decided to follow.  
  
She focused on the grey pavement as she created a force shield on it. Carefully, she stepped on top of  
the transparent surface. She kept her entire mind working to maintain the force shield, and to raise it. As the force shield rose, so did she. To an outsider, it looked like she was levitating all by herself.   
  
Of course, she had warranted some attention. The sharp eyes of an archer caught sight of her form. "Can everyone see what I'm seeing? There's somebody flying." Hawkeye said into his com, after shooting Loki down.   
  
"Pretty sure it's just me, Legolas," Tony said back. "I don't see anybody flying."   
  
"To your right. Should I shoot her?" The agent pulled back an arrow. "She looks human, but so does Loki."    
  
"Do not shoot," Thor replied from his position at the top of a skyscraper. He had paused in his lightning strikes to inspect the seemingly floating person. "She is not Chitauri nor Asgardian, but Midgardian."   
  
Tony, too, looked at them. "Most humans can't do that, but I don't detect any tech..."   
  
"Is there any way we can subdue her?" Steve jumped in, sounding breathless. "We are dealing with a lot right now."   
  
"She's heading towards Natasha!" Clint exclaimed. "Tash-"   
  
Black Widow stopped talking to Dr. Selvik. "I see her," she responded calmly. She was several meters away, but clearly going to where she was. "Whoever it is, they're not the only one heading my way though." Natasha eyed the Chitauri who had followed her after Loki went down and defeated by Hulk.   
  
Hawkeye shot a couple of the oncoming aliens down. "So, should I shoot?"   
  
"I've got it." She said, already raising her gun.   
  
Just then the ascending person landed on the rooftop. She identified the blur of red and black she had seen with surprise. The blur was a fellow human woman she recognized, aiming a gun at her. On the ground was an elderly man, sitting beside a machine that was the source of the hole in the sky.    
  
"Who are you?" The redhead demanded.   
  
She opened her mouth to answer but was interrupted by a blast of blue that nearly hit the spy. Quickly, she opened up a dome shaped shield to block them from the attacks that followed. Black Widow watched in suspicion and disguised curiosity as blue blasts were stopped by an invisible wall. The person who had been flying seemed human, but her abilities were anything but.   
  
Was she one of those mutants? Most people dismissed the idea of mutants as an urban legend, but the agent was not like most people. Although it was kept quite classified, she knew that SHIELD have encountered such people.  
  
Several decades ago, the word mutant was constantly used and their existence was at the center of every debate. A mutant in particular with metal bending powers had captured much of the world's attention. There was talk of mutant groups and the overthrow of the non mutant people. Of course, it simmered down. Now, a mutant was just a legend to many people.  
  
Arrows out of nowhere got rid of the aliens shooting at them, and the possible mutant dropped her shield. "It's kind of complicated but I'm…backup. Nick Fury sent me." Said the woman, not quite willing to part with her name.   
  
"SHIELD?" The assassin asked, not recalling seeing the other woman's face or hearing of someone like her in SHIELD's arsenal.  
  
"Uh, not really. I came here because I owed Fury a favor." The woman was more casual than one would expect being held at gunpoint by the Black Widow. Of course, the spy deduced, she most likely had a shield right in front of her. Any bullets shot would be defected. "I will be gone as soon as this is over."   
  
The rest of the Avengers were listening intently. Natasha didn't relax from her prepared stance while observing the other woman's face. From all of her expertise, she could see no sign of dishonesty there. "You are here to give back up?"   
  
Corinne nodded. "Especially to the people in the file. Which includes you, I think. Avengers Initiative?"    
  
Nobody outside of SHIELD or the Avengers themselves would have known so soon. The only way she could have known was if Nick Fury had told her. The eyes of the super powered woman were not the vibrant blue that came with being under the command of Loki and his Tesseract. Her eyes were a dark brown.  
  
Dr. Selvig shifted from where he was, bringing a fraction of Black Widow's attention to him. She slowly lowered her gun from her target. There was a more urgent matter, and she wouldn't be able to harm her if she wanted anyway.  
  
Not wasting a moment, she tapped her com to Director Fury. "Director?"  
  
"Agent Romanoff," his agitated voice replied, "make this quick, I have a meeting in a minute."  
  
"There is a woman here with defense powers claiming to be sent by you."  
  
He smirked on the other end. "She showed up, good. Yes, I sent her. Is that all?"  
  
"Yes, sir." Her com beeped, signalling Fury ending the conversation.  
  
She then turned to the other woman, "We need to close the portal now, but don't think I won't hesitate."   
  
Natasha didn't say what, but she understood.    
  
Without turning her back, the assassin went back to the machine. The mysterious woman realized that her current spot was a good vantage point, and began materializing force fields for civilians and Avengers.    
  
She made a couple of small shields to block some alien blasts from two Avengers on the ground. Thor glanced up to where she was and have her a brief nod in thanks. From her position, she could see everything. However, it took a lot more energy on her part due to the larger difference. But tired as she was, she kept on going.

* * *

  
"Stark, can you hear me?"  
  
Nick Fury quickly told Tony of the nuclear bomb heading their way, and the billionaire immediately went after it. The director then called Black Widow, intending to contact another.  
  
"Tell her to create a shield around the nuke if Stark does not reach it in time." He said, and the agent relayed it to the other woman.  
  
The woman paused in her defence of people underneath her. "I can try, but it might be too fast for me. Containing a nuclear explosion…"  
  
"Tell her she better figure it out soon. She's backup." Fury closed the line.  
  
Black Widow and the other woman watched as Tony grabbed the bomb and blasted himself up towards the portal.  
  
The unnamed woman, thinking fast, raised her arms. She swung them in a circular direction, creating something the assassin couldn't quite see. After some closer observation, she noticed a spherical disturbance in the sky.  
  
"A dome shield against the portal to act as a sort of plug," the shield making woman explained with effort.  
  
But they both looked on as Iron Man sent the nuke into the portal, going with it.  
  
"Come on, Stark…" Natasha muttered.  
  
The other woman didn't say anything, but she had dropped the dome, hoping he would come back. She had a regular human sized shield ready to catch him.  
  
The Avengers and their backup lost hope soon enough, with Captain America telling Black Widow to shut the portal. She did.  
  
As it closed, they could make out a figure descending through. Relief filled everyone, but he wasn't slowing down. Thor got ready to fly, the woman got a shield made, but Hulk grabbed the man.  
  
Everyone, even the backup, made their way down to the ground where Tony was. He woke up at Hulk's roar, still being himself.  
  
"Please tell me nobody kissed me."  
  
All of the people surrounding him smiled. The woman smiled too, feeling an overwhelming feeling of elation.  
  
"Hey, aren't you that flying, force field making person?" Tony asked. The others' attention were on her too, all of them recognizing her.  
  
She stilled, surprised at being addressed so quickly. "Yeah."  
  
"Cool. Okay. Awesome, we won. Anyone want Shawarma?"

* * *

  
  
Corinne slipped away as soon as their backs were turned. The two SHIELD agents glanced back, but let her go. They sensed her need to be gone, and she was grateful. Running back to the bakery cafe, she couldn't help but feel it wouldn't be the last time she'll see them.  
  
Beth was there when she got back, and her eyes blurred at the sight. She dropped the shield outside the bakery and rushed inside. Any shields she had put up were now down, and she was _tired_.  
  
The two women hugged each other tightly.  
  
"I'm glad I don't have to hire anyone to replace you," Beth muttered into her shoulder.  
  
Corinne gave a breathless laugh. "Me too." A thought struck her then. "Did you check on the others yet?"  
  
They were quite close to the people working in the two shops beside them. It was almost a familial bond. In case of an emergency, they had agreed to check on each other. She had extended her shield to cover as many shops on their street as she could, but she was still worried.

"I got a text from Danny over at the salon, but I couldn't get to Sam."  
  
Corinne hummed, then caught sight of the customers who were still in the kitchen. "Oh, they're still-"  
  
"I'll figure it out from here," Beth gave a look to Corinne that clearly said to take a break, "you go check on Sam and you're off the clock for the day."  
  
Corinne mockingly saluted to her. "Gotcha."  
  
She went outside again and sighed at the destruction of the city. It was going to take a while for them to recover, but she knew the people were strong. Corinne turned on her heel to the Shawarma specialty restaurant where Sam worked at.  
  
The restaurant was unscathed, thankfully. Corinne cheerfully swung the door open, "Still alive, Sa-"  
  
She gaped at the group of superheroes chomping on Shawarma.  
  
So much for that escape.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Less action this time, more bonding!

_Previously:_

_She gaped at the group of superheroes chomping on Shawarma._

_So much for that escape.  
_

* * *

_Don't let anyone know what you can do._  She automatically recited in her head.

If Corinne had learned anything from the accident, it was that the less people who knew about your powers, the less likely you'll end up on the experiment table. So, she ignored the gaze of the heroes.

"Oh hey!" Sam waved at her. "Yeah, we're fine. The aliens never even came near us, which was weird. How are you guys?"

"We're good," she replied.  _Ignore them_ , she thought.  _If you want to continue a normal life, pretend this never happened._  "Well if everything's okay I'll just-"

"You are the shield maiden, yes?" The blond demigod in the cape boomed, not harshly. He had a large presence in general, but not in an overwhelming way. "I must thank you for your aid in the battle. I am Thor. Might I inquire…"

She reluctantly gave them her attention. "I'm not sure what you're talking about."

"There's no point in hiding," Tony Stark said. He pointed up at the television screen on the wall. It was showing news coverage of the invasion.

"Billionaire Tony Stark was seen fighting these creatures, along with what seems to be the Hulk and Captain America. There were several others who also seemed to be working with them." It transitioned to clips of Black Widow, Hawkeye, and her.

She had been filmed while she was deflecting shots away from a group of people behind her. It was noticeable too, and there was no denying she had done something to stop the attacks.

She massaged her temples as the reporter described her in detail, asking people to identify her. Sam had gone off somewhere thankfully, but she was sure he'll know later. Or not. She had an agreement with SHIELD stating that they would cover her identity if it ever came up.

The footage wasn't the highest quality, with the person behind the camera running. The details were blurred so it wasn't possible to get a clear shot of her face. Most people wouldn't be able to tell it was her from these clips-but not the people in front of her. They've seen her face and what she could do. She couldn't deny everything while the screen showed her in the midst of the action.

Corinne turned back to their expectant faces, and sighed. "I was hoping nobody would notice in the mess. I'm not exactly eager to go public as some superhero."

"Pull up a chair and join the club," the archer piped up.

She did so and nearly collapsed into her seat. Her legs were killing her. Corinne hadn't fully felt how tired she was until she felt the bliss of sitting down. Somebody slid her a Shawarma wrap.

The Shawarma, when she thought back to it later, symbolized something. But in the moment, she only focused on her hunger.

The other agent, the one who had been on the rooftop, tapped her earpiece. "Fury wants to speak with you later."

She mumbled her understanding as she observed everyone. Her mind went back to the file Fury had given her about the Avengers as she identified each one.

Corinne knew Tony Stark for sure, because he definitely puts himself out there. The man was just presumptuous in person as he seemed like on screen. She recognized his brilliance, though.

Thor had just been a bizarre rumor based in New Mexico. She believed in life outside of Earth, but never thought her first meeting would come in the form of an ancient Norse god.

The two agents, Clint Barton and Natasha Romanov, she had only known after reading the file. Even then, there was barely any information about them. She was sure they had a hand in it.

Bruce Banner she had known of before his incident, as she had studied his research in university. If he didn't look so exhausted slumped on the table, she would have started a discussion on his papers.

And lastly, the person beside her right now. Steve Rogers. It was surreal to be sitting beside him. This was a historic figure she had learned about extensively in high school. He was so idolized by everyone during that Howling Commandos phase they had as teens, that she would have squealed at the sight of him back then.

But because she was mature now and the toll of the day had gotten to her, she managed act normally. "I'm Corinne."

Everyone called out their name tiredly.

"If you don't mind me asking ma'am, are you a baker?" Steve asked politely, referring to her uniform shirt. It was a t-shirt with the Bee's Bakery logo on it.

Clint cheered half-heartedly. "I've always wanted to know a pro baker." Natasha elbowed him.  **[1]**

It was refreshing to see this side of agents. With her encounters with SHIELD, she got the idea that all agents were professionally stoic. Clint seemed like the complete opposite when he wasn't on the job.

"Yeah, I wouldn't call myself pro. I bake as a part time job," Corinne shrugged, "I'm about to work on my Master's in Science after this summer. If you think about it, baking is like chemistry-so it's science."

Tony and Bruce's eyes lit up with interest.

"Which field? Chemistry?" Tony leaned forward.

"For Bachelors my major was biochemistry, and my minor was physics. Culver University's pretty great for studying science." She replied with ease. Corinne felt herself relax with the casual flow of conversation and the familiar topic. "I'm honestly fascinated with everything science, and I'm hoping it'll help me figure out..."

"Your powers?" Suggested Bruce.

Corinne nodded. "I think it's in my DNA, but I haven't done any research yet."

_Because I'm too paranoid of people finding out._

Imagine if she left her abnormal DNA at the university for someone dangerous to find. The results could be as disastrous as the accident.

Even after everything, she still had that urge to know why from when she was a kid. Her ability had its pros as demonstrated by today, but her scientist brain yearned for more knowledge.

The billionaire's eyes gleamed with the same expression Corinne would find herself showing when she discovered something in her labs. "We will be happy to stud-help you. Right Bruce?"

The other scientist affirmed with a nod.

"My place is absolutely trashed right now, but I will get everything fixed by the time we send off his adopted-kind-of-sort-of-

brother." Tony tilted his head towards Thor. "You can meet us there then. I have a bunch of ideas for the tower..."

She normally would have been more cautious of trusting people. But hey, if Nick Fury trusted this guy, she might as well. Corinne had been itching to know more since forever, and a  _loaded_  genius was offering help...she wasn't daft.

"When did it start?" The super soldier scrutinized her in what seemed like concern. Steve thought about Bruce, and how it had been indirectly caused by him. Surely not so many people had been affected in search of the super soldier serum.

Corinne quelled his worries with a shake of her head. "I wasn't in an experiment. It showed up when I was really young." The tension in Steve dissipated.

"It's very useful. I'm interested in seeing what you can develop next, as you've found a way to fly." Natasha stated simply. "Surprised Fury hasn't made you join SHIELD."

"Trust me," Corinne laughed, "he has tried relentlessly. I'm just as relentless, though."

The redhead smirked before her earpiece beeped in her ear again. She listened intently, then stood up gracefully. "Clint and I have to go."

"Bye guys!" Hawkeye called out as he left with her. They murmured their farewells.

Corinne yawned. "I'm going too. Should probably check if my apartment's still in one piece." She watched with amusement as Steve stood up when she did. His mannerisms from the forties were a nice change for sure.

"See you all later." She waved goodbye to Sam too.

"Two days!" Tony yelled as she left the restaurant.

* * *

Corinne awoke with a searing pain in her head. She groaned as the agony seemed to spread to different points of her. It felt like someone was repeatedly tasering her everywhere. Her body shook in waves of the pain, and she gasped for air.

She lay there in bed until the torment eventually pulsed into a dull throb in her mind. Corinne caught her breath, her mind reeling from what she had just felt.

_What the hell was that?_

She caught sight of her broken window which she had taped a plastic bag over.

_Alien invasion. Right._

With a shake of her head, she got out of bed. Corinne figured it must have been her body protesting how much she had pushed its limits to, and left it at that. It wasn't the first time this had happened, after all. Anytime she used too much of her powers, it was like the impact that had hit her shields came back to hit her. Every good thing had its drawbacks.

The woman dragged herself to the bathroom. She cringed at the state of her haggard appearance. Her dark locks went in every direction and her eyes had deep shadows underneath.

She had spent the entirety of yesterday like the rest of the city- recovering. If she didn't have a meeting scheduled today, she would have slept through the entire day. Or well as she could sleep. Corinne hadn't been able to get a long period of slumber, only brief, restless intervals. The thought of discovering why she was the way that she was lightened her mood though.

Corinne got her hair into its usual bun, and changed into some light summer clothing. A pair of sunglasses perched on her nose, she headed to the square.

SHIELD had gotten the whole area cleared of the public, so it was easy to spot the group of superheroes. They waved at her as she came into view. She smiled back, kind of in disbelief she was so at ease with them. Nothing like a good battle brought a group of people together.

_What do we have here?_

An unfamiliar, deep voice interrupted Corinne's thoughts. She looked around, confused as nobody had opened their mouth to speak. Then she froze as she connected gazes with the demigod in chains.

His green eyes pinned her down, and she found herself unable to move. Loki. He was assessing her from head to toe, but she was still puzzled.

_Get out of my head_ , she tried to scream in her thoughts.

Despite the muzzle on him, he managed to grin wickedly with his eyes.

_What are you doing on this pathetic planet?_

When her mind remained a jumbled mess, the glint in his eyes intensified.

_You do not know what you are. Well, this is going to be fun. Just wait until they hear abo-_

"Corinne?" A hesitant voice broke through the silent exchange. Bruce was standing next to her, hand flat against something transparent. He had probably wanted to tap her shoulder. "Your shield is up. Are you okay?"

"I'm okay." She said. The doctor still looked skeptical, his eyes lingering on the pallor of her skin. "Didn't get a lot of sleep." It was the only logical explanation for that hallucination.

Bruce saw the evidence under her eyes and nodded. "I don't think any of us did."

The Avengers were scattered around the square, chatting amiably. Upon closer inspection, however, Corinne could see that everyone had been affected by what had happened two days ago. Like her, they had the signs of a lack of sleep.

She attempted to ignore the scrutiny of the trickster. "This is going to be in the textbooks for sure."

"They're already calling this the Battle of New York," replied Bruce, "not the most original, but it fits."

"It does." Corinne agreed absentmindedly.

Thor called for everyone's attention at the center of the square. The preparations for his and Loki's departure were done, and everyone quieted as the Tesseract was brought out. Corinne's own arms involuntarily crossed defensively in front of her.

This one thing brought on so much destruction. Hundreds of lives were changed or ended because of a glowing cube. She looked at each Avenger. Natasha whispered something about Loki to Clint that made him smirk. Thor was saying goodbye to Dr. Selvik. Tony and Bruce just watched on. Steve had a hardened expression that was also haunted. She thought back to history class and remembered that this cube also had a huge impact on his life. People like Red Skull and Loki cause too much devastation.

The Tesseract was placed into the device that would take the demigods back to Asgard. Thor inclined his head in farewell to all of them, and held out the device for Loki to twist. Loki did so, but not without giving Corinne one last indescribable look.

She couldn't help the shiver that went down her spine.

"Hey, Violet! Ready to do some science?"

Corinne laughed. "Tony Stark watched The Incredibles?"

"Everyone has!"

* * *

All of them went their separate ways after a few more words. Corinne followed the scientists to the tower, where they acquainted themselves with a newly repaired lab. JARVIS' accented voice welcomed them as they entered. But she was too distracted by everything. Corinne had to try not to gape at the shiny, advanced equipment.

"What do you think?" Tony grinned knowingly.

"It's nice." She managed. Nothing they had at the university laboratories compared to this.

Bruce hummed and inspected a machine. "This is the DNA sequencer that we decided on before."

The three of them had discussed the ways they were going to do it yesterday on the phone. It only involved two phones though, as Bruce was staying in the tower. He had opted to not go back to Kolkata just yet.

Tony had been eager to dive right into research, despite having a near death experience. You would think he would want to sleep and see a therapist, but perhaps it was his way of dealing with things.

"This looks different from what I'm used to." Corinne sidled beside Bruce to look at the machine.

"It's one of my own. I modified it yesterday," then Tony muttered to himself, "Pepper wasn't too happy that I wasn't resting, but it should be much better than whatever's out there."

"We can start with this to find the mutation in my genes...this is great. Thank you, again." she said appreciatively.

The billionaire waved her off, turning to get something from a cabinet. "No problem. An Avenger helping another Avenger out, yeah?"

Corinne startled at being referred to as an Avenger. She hadn't really considered herself as one of them, thinking herself as just backup. She had been late to the party, after all.

But she shrugged and smiled. "Yeah."

Bruce held up a tourniquet and antiseptic wipes. "Blood sample time."

She lifted up her sleeve and swiped one of the wipes over her arm. "Needles? My favourite."

"Mine too," Bruce joked back dryly.

Once they got the samples, they began their work. With Tony's ACDC music blaring throughout the whole lab, the three cooperated together to find answers. They worked unitedly and got through a lot of tests.

Although they made a lot of progress but no breakthroughs, she felt that what they established was just as important.

* * *

When she exited the tower hours later, she didn't expect the Director to be standing there. Corinne hid, although it was probably pointless, her surprise.

"I was wondering when you would appear out of the shadows."

Nick Fury ignored her snark. "I have a proposal for you."

She continued walking to the subway that would take her back to her apartment. Tony had offered to have her stay at the tower for convenience, but she declined. Corinne felt more comfortable in her own home and he was already doing more than enough.

The brunette had big plans though. While she was analysing some scans, he had rambled about upgrades to the tower.

_"The S, T, R, and K fell off the tower. Must be a sign, right?" He threw his hands up, visualising something Bruce and Corinne couldn't quite see. "A. A for Avengers. Avengers tower! I'll make a floor for everyone when they need some place to crash, or when Earth needs rescuing."_

_"Isn't that a bit much?" Bruce had voiced._

_Corinne nodded, adjusting her safety goggles. "I'm with Bruce."_

_"Still doing it! You guys will be so amazed when it's done that you'll regret ever saying that. The Avengers gotta have a cool hideout." Tony reasoned._

He had been more enthusiastic about the idea of the Avengers than Corinne thought he would. From what she read in the file, she never would have guessed Tony would be the one to be eager to unite everyone.

Corinne looked at Fury. "Let me guess, you want me to join SHIELD?"

"I want you to join the Avengers."

Corinne shook her head and replied automatically. "I'm not cut out of the same stuff as them."

He gave her a mildly exasperated look. "You are. In the end, you decided to go out there and help. I've been watching, and they have accepted you there."

It wasn't a lie. She thought back to when Tony referred to her as an Avenger, and how easily she got along with the others. She didn't know all of them personally, but if they had to fight off more aliens-she would fit right in.

At her lapse, he went on. "Are you going to hesitate again?"

She understood what he was talking about, and pursed her lips. The accident. "You can't use that against me, that's just playing dirty."

He shifted his angle. "How did you feel after the Battle of New York, then?"

The exhilaration and the relief of securing the safety of others was something she couldn't forget. She couldn't deny the feeling of purpose, and the sense of belonging that day. The man watched with concealed satisfaction as she visibly gave in. "I don't want this to interfere with my life and career."

"Scientists at SHIELD have great benefits, and if not since you have some opinions about SHIELD, I can always pull some strings. I'm sure whoever you work for outside of SHIELD will be lenient. Being an Avenger will not take a lot of time as it will only when the world is in danger." Said the intimidating man.

_Only when the world is in danger._  She smiled at that. "Sounds like a job that doesn't have a lot of shifts."

"You will need training, though."

"What kind?" She couldn't believe she was actually considering this.

"Combat, strategy, and whatever else we deem necessary. You won't be alone during your training. Are you going to accept?"

Corinne thought about it. "Give me any info that would help me with my abilities, and I'll do it. I know SHIELD has thousands of files on superhuman incidences."

"We'll see what we can do. You start tomorrow." He turned on his heel. "Someone will come to take you to the base. The Avengers Initiative Contract is on your coffee table."

Well, he definitely had confidence that she would join. Sure enough, the stack of papers was on the wooden furniture. She went through the paperwork, and then made a couple of calls to Culver and the scientists.

With a bit of reorganizing, she managed to get her schedule to fit both the researching and the training. From what the papers said, training would only take three hours every other morning, so it was relatively flexible.

She only wondered who it was she would was training with.

* * *

At 8 AM sharp, her doorbell rang loudly. Corinne swore as she hopped around trying to get her shorts on while throwing things into her workout bag. They had told her to wear clothing fit for exercise by eight, but they hadn't told her how punctual they were going to be.

"Ms. Lin?" A smooth voice said from the other side of the door.

She swept her hair up into a messier bun than usual, and scanned her apartment.  _All done._  "I'm coming!"

The composed SHIELD agent gave her a polite smile when Corinne opened the door. Without a pause, they lead her to an awaiting nondescript car outside. The windows were so tinted even she could not see out from the inside. The only clues she got about their whereabouts was the movement of the car. She felt them descending, maybe going underground, and that was it.

"We've arrived," said the agent. They got out and Corinne was met with modern but unremarkable walls of concrete and glass. SHIELD's eagle insignia was at the center of the entrance. Masses of people in suits moved about, probably agents. They paid her no mind as the agent took her to a door marked 194.

"Please wait in the gym. Your training should begin when the instructor and the other trainee comes." They opened the door.

Corinne took in the mats spread on the floor, the weight training equipment, and even the climbing walls that reached the ceiling. Off to the side was a was a whiteboard with some desks. "Thanks," she said absentmindedly and the agent left.

_Almost looks like a regular high school gym with some additions._

She found some controls on the wall, and curiously pressed one of them. A whirring noise surrounded her, and she watched as the walls opened up. Padded poles came out, moving erratically so that it was impossible to walk in a straight line without being pummeled.

_Never mind._

She pressed the button again and the temple trap like obstacle retracted.

Corinne remembered the mention of another trainee, and scolded herself for forgetting to ask who it was. Oh well, she would find out soon enough.

The woman picked up one of the dumbbells with effort. Yeah, training would help. She considered herself fit enough for an average person, because she does run and do yoga. Corinne had a feeling that her regular routine was probably not as vigorous as what she was about to go through.

It was at that moment the door swung open. She turned around to greet her fellow trainee and was pleasantly surprised to see a familiar face.

"Hey Steve," She grinned, glad to somewhat know who she was training with. He was wearing workout clothes like her, and she could now clearly see why they called him super soldier.

He matched her relieved expression with a crooked smile of his own. "Hello ma-Corinne." Old habits were hard to shake off. He had to constantly stop himself from calling women ma'am, as most had not taken well to it. "Are you also here for the training?"

"Yeah," Corinne looked at him inquisitively, "though I'm surprised you're here. You looked like you knew what you were doing during the fight."

The blond smiled sheepishly. "A lot has developed since then, and I never got formal, thorough training even during the war..." He trailed off, mind going to troubling memories.

Corinne caught this and intercepted. "Are you working with SHIELD?"

Steve met her gaze again. "Yes, it's one of the only things that has not changed."

_He didn't have anything else left_ , it was left unsaid.

"Well, I know nothing about fighting, so I'm counting on you to show me the ropes."

"Of course," his expression brightened considerably.

The sound of the door opening got their attention. A dark haired man with a lot of stubble gave them a reserved upturn of lips. Corinne didn't like him, she decided. It was a weird gut feeling that she got from looking at him. "Rogers, Lin. I'm Agent Brock Rumlow and I will be your martial arts and military combat instructor for today. I hope you are prepared."

* * *

"I have received word of her location from the criminal Loki. His powers persist despite being in imprisonment..." They frowned at having to receive help from him. "Do not let her find out what she is as she is not ready yet. There is still opportunity for more development." With a grim expression, they ordered their subordinate. "Cover any discoveries."

The subordinate furrowed their brow. "Will she-"

"Those are my orders."

"Yes, of course." Their head bowed down. "I understand."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [1] I realize in the Avengers movie, Hawkeye is all serious and deadly. This is probably because he's controlled by Loki and in fighting mode throughout most of the movie. In the Age of Ultron trailer he's shown more like what I consider him to be like. I'm basing my characterization on Matt Fraction's comics, and others' characterization I've absorbed. So he can be silly sometimes, but still deadly. I hope it's okay!
> 
> Okay this chapter was very difficult. Mostly because I didn't want to mess up anybody's characterization, so I hope my efforts have paid off. I tried to balance everyone's interaction with Corinne, but it's harder than I thought.
> 
> Please let me know anybody you'll like Corinne to interact with more! Or what you look forward to? That'll be very helpful to me because I want to create a story that has stuff the readers want.
> 
> Thank you to everyone! Your support motivates me and I am wowed by the feedback.
> 
> 03.13.15.


	3. Chapter 3

Corinne's breath was coming out in short huffs as she circled her barely sweating opponent.

Steve was smiling apologetically, after having subdued her on the mats for the hundredth time.

Rumlow stood on the side, sharp instructions coming out of his mouth. "Stay alert, Lin. Remember what I taught you."

Despite her being tired, she kept her hands up, ready to strike. At Steve's expectant countenance she nodded. "Ready."

She made the first swipe, catching him by surprise. Corinne then dropped down to kick out a leg. It knocked him out of balance, but he righted himself. Steve returned with a punch.

None of their hits are meant to even bruise each other, but it is still an invigorating spar. She leaned back, and managed to get a few jabs in. They go back and forth like this, until Steve tackles her.

Her back meets the mat as the air leaves her lungs. Again. Steve has her pinned, and she just lays there breathless. Corinne is not used to so much endurance, but even Steve seems winded. His face flushes from exertion probably, but they are close enough to count each others' eyelashes. Steve swiftly gets up and offers her a hand.

"Thanks," Corinne lets him pull her up, "Nice tackle."

He smiles, a bit embarrassed. The man had won every single time so far, but he knew Corinne wouldn't appreciate him going easy either. "Thank you. You did a really good kick."

She beamed back. Corinne had doubts about Fury's decision in having them train together. Sure, their knowledge of combat was the same, but he was a super solider. Having greater strength, speed, and endurance had its advantages. Force field powers were useless in a close range.

But she could see how it's got them to know each other better. By getting to spend time with Steve, it was beneficial for the team and for both of them. It's been a week since they've started training, and she could say they were friends.

They even watched The Incredibles when their strategy instructor had to go on a last minute mission. Steve had wanted to know why she was called Violet, and so she started up The Incredibles. The SHIELD break room had Netflix; who would have thought?

She didn't mind helping him catch up with everything either. It was fun to see someone's honest, first reaction to some movie, song, or whatever. Corinne suggested things for his notebook of things to know, and answered any questions he brought up.

In her opinion, Steve was so much more than the symbol Captain America. He was kind and brave, and wasn't just some mindless soldier. He proved himself as somebody who thought outside of the box during their strategy classes.

"Enough chit chat, you two. Let's get back to sparring." Rumlow drawls.

* * *

"There's nothing!" Tony lamented, swiping away the hologram of the scans from sight.

"Maybe we need a different angle." Corinne replied half-heartedly, more calm on the outside. In truth, her own patience was wearing thin. They've been at it for days now, and not a single anomaly had shown up in the results. She was grateful she finally got a chance to find answers, but at this rate, she was doubting they'd find anything.

Bruce agreed. "Let's keep on trying."

Corinne cast her attention back to the results on her screen. A particular sequence caught her eye and she expanded it. "Oh my god, I think-"

But just as quickly as she had spotted it, her mind stopped functioning for a moment. By the time she focused on the sequence again, nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She stared at the sequence in confusion.

_I swear it was there._

The two other scientists had drifted over to where she was.

"Did you find it?" Tony asked excitedly.

Corinne shook her head, disappointed. "Sorry, false alarm. I must be going crazy with staring at this for a long time."

"We'll find it," Bruce gave her an assuring look.

Bruce had been an amazing lab partner for the past few days. Despite his alter ego, he was a steady anchor. Without him, she would have lost her motivation and sanity. Tony was great and a genius, but his eccentric ways was enough to put most people on edge. Bruce had studied at the same university as she had too, though his departure had worse circumstances.

JARVIS' disembodied voice spoke up. "I apologize for the interruption, but there are some guests awaiting your presence."

"Oh, right, I forgot," responded the billionaire, "yeah, don't send them up. Send them to the common floor. We'll meet them there."

"Understood, Mr. Stark."

Corinne exchanged a perplexed look with Bruce. He shrugged back.

"What's happening?" She voiced.

Tony stepped into the elevator, and motioned for them to join him. "It's a surprise!"

They just did it, used to the genius' eccentric ways. The glass elevator ascended swiftly, stopping at one of the floors that had been under construction for the past week.

The upper floors of the tower had been damaged from the Battle of New York, so it had not been accessible to anybody. The other floors were still functional. At the lower half of the tower were the rented floors of Stark Industries' subsidiaries. In the middle was where Stark Industries' R&D department was located. They had been working in one of Tony's personal labs on the upper middle level for their research.

The elevator doors opened and Tony spread his arms. "Welcome to the Avengers common floor!"

The space was huge. It was a sleek room made of glass and metal. Modern like the rest of the tower, it was both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Minimalist furniture and various entertainment objects were scattered about. In the center was a seating area with large white sofas. The guests JARVIS talked about were currently lounging on them.

Natasha, Clint, and Steve acknowledged them with their own greeting as they joined them.

Corinne gave a friendly grin to Steve, and waved to the two agents. She was surprised to see them, because they have had SHIELD duties most of the time for the past week.

"I thought this was an emergency, Stark," Natasha raised an eyebrow, "This doesn't look urgent to me." The two men beside her nodded.

"But it's just as important as one," he said easily, "okay, you know those revision plans I had? They're done and now I'm going to give you guys a tour." His eyes shined with excitement.

The man was so full of enthusiasm they couldn't decline.

"Might as well, since we're here." Steve relented.

Tony cheered. "Yes! Okay, this is the common room for everyone. We've got everything-lounge, bar, pool table, electronics, fully equipped kitchen, movie theatre. On the next floors," the other Avengers followed as he bounded over to the elevator, "are your quarters! JARVIS, pull up a map of the place."

"Of course."

A hologram of the tower appeared. The inventor pointed at seven of the floors marked by symbols. A bow, an hourglass, a hammer, a DNA helix, a shield with a star, and an Iron Man mask. Corinne saw what was probably her own symbol in between Steve's shield and the DNA helix. It looked like a traditional shaped shield created by spiraling lines. A 'C' was in the center of it.

"I told you I was an Avenger only a couple days ago," said Corinne, "how did you even manage to finish?"

The others shared a look.

"It was kinda obvious you were going to join." Clint grinned at her. "Welcome to the team by the way."

They went to each of the floors, and Corinne could see the amount of thought he had put into the tower. Each floor was personalized for its user. They went to Clint's floor since it was the closest and he wanted to go see.

Clint had whistled, impressed with his floor. "Sweet."

The archer's floor had its own levels, perfect for his habit of lingering in elevated places. Complicated targets that he could adjust by telling JARVIS to were all over the place.

"And if you wanna change something," Tony said, "just talk to JARVIS. The walls are movable so change as much as you want."

They decided to fully explore their own floors later, as Tony wanted to show them other places

Next, he showed them the training area. It was even more impressive than the one Corinne trained at in SHIELD. There was, of course, everything.

"Let's try this out." Clint shouted, running over to a firing range. Steve, Bruce, and Tony followed, the latter already babbling.

"Good to have another woman on the team," A husky voice spoke beside Corinne. Natasha gave her a sly smile. "Heard you're getting trained by Rumlow."

"Yeah," Corinne winced, "he is a strict trainer." She was still sore from yesterday, while Steve showed no signs of exhaustion.

She had been glad at first to be paired with Steve-their friendship had grown tremendously as a result, after all. Truthfully, Corinne felt like she wasn't making as much progress as she could. Something just wasn't working.

Corinne frowned to herself. She understood that he was a super soldier, but her ambitious nature couldn't stand being behind.

Natasha's perceptive gaze assessed her. "Follow me," she walked off to a storage room, closed the door behind them, and got out a dummy. "Show me what you've learned so far."

She was confused, but obeyed nonetheless. Corinne did a couple of different punches and kicks. She even did the move where she threw her weight to her opponent to knock them down. At the end, she was slightly panting.

"That's all I remember," she told the redhead.

The spy nodded thoughtfully. "Rumlow's not training you properly. The hand to hand combat is fine, but the rest isn't suitable for you. He's teaching moves where you use your weight against the opponent, and that only works well for Rogers."

That makes sense, Corinne thought.

"You need entirely different moves. I'll help you, but you can't teach these to anyone else. " Natasha sent her a sly smirk. "Us girls have to stick together."

Corinne was at a lost for what to say. The Black Widow was going to help her fight? That was definitely not something she thought was going to happen. "Okay."

"Instead of using your weight, you have to use their weight. Come at me." Natasha motioned her forward. Corinne hesitantly swung a fist. What happened next was both fast and smooth. She saw Natasha jump lightly and secure her thighs around her neck. Corinne's balance tipped and she was suddenly grateful for the mat underneath.

"That was amazing."

Corinne was given a shrug. "Perks of the job."

Natasha showed her a couple more techniques. Some using the dummy, some with the spy herself. Corinne grinned with each move. She felt more and more confident about tomorrow's training lesson.

"That's all for now. Just remember to use what they throw at you to your advantage." The former assassin concluded at the end, putting the dummy away.

Corinne nodded. "Thank you."

The spy gave her another smirk. "Kick their asses for me."

They came out from the storage room unnoticed. The rest of the Avengers had been so occupied with testing out the equipment that they hadn't realized their disappearance. Tony was explaining the features with glee as Steve and Bruce pressed buttons. Clint had gotten a bow out of nowhere and was hitting every target even as Steve changed the settings.

Clint turned around to them abruptly, bow string taunt. "Heads!"

Corinne's eyes widened as she materialized a shield to cover both her and Natasha. The arrow which had been aimed slightly above their heads, bounced off her force field.

"Seriously?" She said in exasperation. It wasn't directly aimed for them, but had given her a start.

"Clint." Natasha sounded unimpressed.

The archer shrugged. "Testing your reflexes."

"I have an idea."

Everyone looked at Tony warily.

She was keeping up her shield against oncoming attacks. Arrows came from all directions, and a shield with a star occasionally bounced off her own shield. A beam of light continually hit her invisible barrier. Bullets rattled its own rhythm amongst all the attacks.

"Time?" Tony said in his Iron Man suit. He had summoned the suit to the gym from his workshop.

Bruce, off to the side, yelled back. "Five minutes and thirty-nine seconds!"

"No weak spots anywhere," Clint's voice floated from the rafters. He was calculatedly aiming arrows at different spots. "Just what is this stuff made of?"

"Energy's my best guess." Corinne replied under the dome of her shield. Her hands were lifted as she contemplated. "Although, that could be another thing to test."

The scientist had agreed to Tony's plan dubiously. He had proposed to test the limits of her power by attacking the shield. While it sounded absurd at first, it did make sense. She would rather know her breaking point while practising now than during battle.

Corinne was getting tired though. The combination of fatigue from training yesterday combined with the weight of the attacks now was making her mind heavy. With the force of the attacks happening now, she would not like to have them hit her.

"I think we should take a break," She said, "I think I'm at my-"

Something in her mind clicked and the transparent shield she had formed over herself became opaque.

Instead of seeing nothing, the team could now see a glass like surface appearing. What used to be an invisible dome became a solid looking glass dome. It was made of varying shades of golden yellow, seeming to radiate its own light.

They all froze.

"That ever happen before?" Natasha asked Corinne, brow furrowed in apprehension.

She shook her head, and reached out to touch it.

A couple of them yelled for her to stop, but she continued. The curiosity was too much as she was transfixed by the surface. Her skin came in contact with it, and nothing happened. Her shield now felt like cool metal but she also felt a buzzing energy.

"You should get out of there," Bruce said hurriedly, "we don't know if air will be able to penetrate through this material."

Corinne nodded. "Stand back a bit please."

Her eyes fluttered shut and she conjured up an image of the shield around her. Then she imagined it shattering into small fragments, showering the gym floor like snow. Corinne heard cracking as soon as she thought of it, and smiled.

A shield materialized over her head as the golden glass pieces rained down. The team gazed at the glittering downpour with disbelief and slight awe.

"I see the weirdest stuff with this job," Clint murmured.

They approached her when the remnants of her shield were on the ground.

"Are you alright?" Steve queried.

"Yeah," Corinne picked up one of the pieces to examine, her scientist side activated, "this is still here. Solid."

The other two scientists crouched down and touched the pieces gingerly.

"More to study," murmured Bruce. He held up a piece against the light.

Tony was absolutely delighted while he gathered a bunch of the fragments. "This is just what we need instead of staring at gene sequences all day!"

The three fell into a deep discussion on possible experiments and theories. Seeing that there was no way they'd get their attention anytime soon, the rest of the Avengers shrugged and dispersed.

* * *

In another place, the same two people had a discussion.

"She has managed to solidify energy, though she has not managed the after-effects." They reported to the person in front of them. "Shall I contact her?"

The other shook their head. "No, it is still too soon."

"The others may find her before us, sir." Their voice was cautious, but firm. "The consequences of that occurring will be dire."

Again, the superior dismissed his subordinate's words. "She is resilient. If they do capture her, we will retrieve her. For now, she needs to develop on her own time. I understand your concern, but keep on observing her."

Hours later, the scientists emerged from their lab.

The three went to the new common floor intending to grab a bite. They were mildly taken back when they saw the remainder of the team there.  
Steve, Natasha, and Clint were gathered around one of the flat screens, looking fixated at whatever was on the television.

Tony radiated smugness as they headed to the group. Deep down, he was relieved that they were using the Tower. "Enjoying yourselves?"

Clint grunted a reply, too distracted, and leaned over to Steve. "Shoot that shell now."

As they moved closer, they could see that Natasha and Steve were clicking away at two controllers. Each one was controlling a little car on a racetrack.

"We're introducing Mario Kart to him," the redhead said to their questioning looks. She dodged the shell that Steve had thrown.

"And you didn't invite me?" Bemoaned Tony. "I am the master of Mario Kart."

"Grab a controller and we'll see," Natasha gestured to her opponent, "I've got to warn you though, Steve's a quick learner."

Clint exclaimed with a mouth full of food. "Under my training!"

Tony took out a controller, then looked over his shoulder. "Are you in, Cor?"

"Sure, I'm not so bad myself." She accepted the controller. "Your creativity must be running low. It's not the first time I've heard that nickname."

Tony mock glared at her. "How dare you? My creativity is just fine. Anyway, Bruce?"

"No thanks," he called from the kitchen where he was putting a pizza in the oven, "I'll watch."  
Earth's mightiest heroes spent the rest of the night playing the video game. Everyone won at least once due to skill or luck. Bruce put pizza on the table, and just watched bemusedly with Clint.

The man out of time surprised everybody by winning multiple times with his strategic thinking. He usually made mistakes from not being used to the game.

Tony was true to his word-good, but too erratic sometimes. This resulted in him falling off the road when he landed a flawless hit on another player and decided to do a victory dance.

Natasha played perfect, planned way. However she didn't seem too into it, as she was more interested in sabotaging whoever she specifically chose during each round. Otherwise, everyone knew she would win every match.

Corinne played with the ease of anyone who spent countless summer days playing as a child. She didn't play methodically, but rather instinctively. The woman seemed to know the tiny tricks in the game, and struck when the others least expected.

All in all, the team furthered learned each others' dynamics and improved their overall cooperation. Or, that's what they would excuse it as if anyone asked.

* * *

"Ready."

Steve and Corinne sprung into action. Steve aimed to knock Corinne's legs, but she avoided his kick. The blond swung a fist towards her, and she saw the opportunity.

Corinne grabbed his fist and twisted.

The momentum caused him to fall to his side and she smiled unabashedly. "Finally!" She exclaimed in glee, turning to gauge her trainer's reaction.

Rumlow gave her a grudging nod of approval. "Good work." To himself he muttered, "I've seen that move somewhere."

Steve, after getting over his surprise, gave her a genuine smile. He felt proud and happy at the matching smile that lit up her whole face. "Nice move. You really caught me off guard there."

"Thanks." She, for the first time, helped him get up.

Rumlow interrupted their moment of elation , "That was only the first spar of today, you two. Let's-" Their instructor's head snapped upwards where he shot an indifferent expression towards the vent. "Barton."

The archer dropped down to the floor from where he had been hiding. He gave a wave to his two fellow Avengers. To the stoic trainer he nodded. "Hey Rumlow."

"What are you doing here?" Rumlow practically oozed hostility.

Clint remained nonchalant. "You've got an impromptu mission. I'm here to take over."

Steve and Corinne's eyebrows went up.

Rumlow suddenly got a message from his earpiece, and nodded with hesitation. "Understood," he said to whoever was on the other end.

As the man left the gym, Corinne observed to Clint. "What is up with you two?"

"Rumlow just rubs me the wrong way." He shrugged, not quite looking at her as he said this. "He's good at what he does though."

Corinne could not help but agree. It was good that someone else regarded Rumlow the same way. Her mentor constantly gave her a bad gut feeling, though there was no reason to do that besides the difficult regimen he puts them through.

"Are you going to teach us combat?" Inquired Steve.

Clint shook his head and cracked them a devious smile. "You guys have had enough of that. Nah, it's time for target practice!" He bounded over to the weapons room on the side, where an abundance of guns were.

"I don't want to shoot anybody." Corinne stated, and Steve nodded.

One of the first things they learned about each other was that neither of them wanted to kill or fatally harm anyone. Steve had said he didn't want to end any lives, no matter which side they came from. Corinne had a similar moral code, and her very superpower was defense, not offense.

"Nobody's telling you to," Clint examined the selection, "but sometimes you find yourself in a situation where you have to. And hey, if you learn to have a good enough aim, you could disarm them without giving a major injury."

The other two saw the truth in his words. Reluctantly, they held the guns Clint gave to them. He got them some eye and ear protection, and set up bull's eye targets. The archer knew they wouldn't take well to the human shaped ones so soon.

Clint gave them a brief talk on the safety and parts of the gun. Then, after explaining the proper grip and position, Steve and Corinne fired into the targets so Clint could figure out where they were at. Steve aimed where he wanted to, but his shots only reached the middle ring. Corinne's bullets hit the inner middle, but were slightly off from where she wanted them.

Clint gave the other blond some advice regarding his the direction of his range of view. "Don't look at the gun, look at where you want the bullet to go."

He readjusted Corinne's stance slightly, and manoeuvred her fingers on the weapon. "Try and see if that's better."

Once they managed to not think about a person receiving their shots, they did better. It helped that Clint was an expert at targets too. He was constantly making jokes, and just being a nice breath of fresh air from the usually stoic teachers they had. Within the hour, Steve and Corinne were able to hit the red circle-though not dead center.

"We'll try different types later, and I'll see if I can get some bows for you guys…Anyway, good work. See you in two days." Clint concluded after they put everything away.

They exchanged goodbyes and Steve and Corinne got out of the gym.

"Any plans for the day?" Asked Steve conversationally.

"I've got a shift at the bakery in a bit, but other than that, I could do some work on my research." The material that she had made was nothing she had ever seen before, and she was always itching to get more work done in it. "How about you?"

"Visiting an old friend," Steve responded, omitting the name of the person, "and then maybe catching up on that list of movies you gave me."

She had composed a huge list of her favourite films for him. By huge, she meant huge. "Sounds good. How was the one I recommended yesterday?"

They chatted until they had to go their separate ways. Corinne got out of the SHIELD facility by herself-she finally got the clearance to do so- with a small skip in her step from all the accomplishments she had done today.

Life so far as an Avenger wasn't too bad.

But at the back of her mind, she knew she would be right in her initial indecision someday.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> School has started for me, so updates will unfortunately take a little bit longer.
> 
> Feel free to drop me a review ;) they always brighten my day-are you guys excited for Age of Ultron? The trailers look awesome


	4. Chapter 4

"You trained with who?"

 

Beth's voice was one of disbelief as she sat across Corinne. The duo were enjoying a coffee at one of the little tables after a busy day. It was a routine of theirs, to catch up on everything that was happening in their lives.

 

While they had went on different paths after high school, they had maintained their friendship. Corinne had gone to study science at Culver with a full scholarship, while Beth went to fulfil her dream of opening a bakery.

 

Both of them fortunately succeeded, and once Beth heard that Corinne would be taking a break after her Bachelor's, she invited her to work there for the summer. Corinne had developed her love for baking from Beth, and the opportunity to spend a couple of months with her best friend and bake was irresistible.

 

"Steve Rogers-and I totally kicked his ass." Corinne stirred the milky contents of her cup.

 

"Captain America."

 

Corinne smirked. "With help from Black Widow."

 

"You've got to be kidding me. Seriously," she scoffed, "where can I get some superpowers so I can do that too?"

 

"I honestly haven't figured that out yet." She explained to her how no anomalies had shown up in her DNA analysis. They even tested Bruce's DNA to make sure the machines were working properly. "And I've left that alone, because I've been experimenting on this material that's made of my pure energy shield-but it's visible. I've got a shard of it, like glass."

 

"The most exciting thing I've done today is bake that." Beth pointed at the new macaroon flavor she tried out. "Not join an important group devoted to saving humanity."

 

"This is pretty important to me," Corinne took a bite of the dessert. Beth was innovative in her recipes and always experimenting in her own way. It was one of the reasons why her bakery succeeded even with all the competition. The food at Bee's Bakery were from unique recipes created by Beth.

 

In the soothing warmth of the cafe, she almost felt as if the alien attack never happened. She was grateful it did as she got to meet the others. But it was kind of humbling to just reconnect with a normal, childhood friend.

 

By the time she stepped out onto the streets, it was already dark. The city was in still in constant motion though. She took the public transit to her apartment with no trouble at all, feeling content. It was earlier than usual when she slipped off her shoes.

 

Corinne immediately sensed something wrong in her home.

 

Treading cautiously, she mentally shuffled her SHIELD training through her mind. She readied herself to conjure a barrier as she rounded the corner. She was not sure if a shield would be right in her situation.

 

The living room came into view, but there was nobody there. Corinne scanned the area and then continued on, keeping her back to the wall. She checked and found nothing in her bathroom and kitchen. That left her bedroom.

 

There was nothing out of the ordinary in her bedroom at first. But as her eyes roamed over the room, she spotted a drawer in her desk pulled out, and the open window where they must have escaped. Most likely an easily frightened robber.

 

"Someone was in a hurry," she muttered to herself, relaxing. "Why would they look here of all places for valua-"

 

Her musings were cut short as a strong grip caged her shoulder. Panic rose and almost took over her, but she pushed it down. The muscle memory that had been ingrained into her for the past week surfaced as she fought back. Corinne delivered kicks and punches to the invader.

 

She couldn't quite see their face in the dark, but could tell by their stature that they were a man of muscular build. A few days ago, he could have easily overtaken her. But Corinne had learned to evade, strike, and overcome people like him.

 

When he understood that he could not subdue her, he aimed for something else. Both hands of the man wrapped around and pulled at the strap of her messenger bag. Corinne pulled back, holding tight to the base of the bag. She leaned back to the heels of her feet to shift her weight. The two were at an impasse.

 

Smiling innocently, Corinne abruptly let go of her bag. The man fell back unprepared. She landed the final blows and secured this limbs together. Corinne sat down with way more energy than before from the adrenaline. She observed the semi-conscious man as she pondered what to do next.

 

Out of caution, she formed a small dome shaped shield just big enough to fit over him. She waited and watched as he half heartedly tried to get up but was deterred from doing so.

 

Satisfied, the woman took out her phone and tapped at it.

 

"Hello?" A distracted voice answered.

 

"Hey Tony, sorry I'm calling so late…"

 

"No problem," Tony tinkered with something in the background, "I'm working on the suit all night. What's up?"

 

She glanced at the slumped man. "I think I'm going to come and stay at the Tower for a while. A guy broke in so I had to use my SHIELD training." She felt a twinge of guilt of harming the man,  but pushed it back.

 

"Shoot, are you-" His normally self-assured voice was suddenly filled with apprehension.

 

She smiled. His instantaneous concern showed that the billionaire had soft spots under his arrogant exterior. "I'm okay. I'm calling you, aren't I?"

 

"That's…good." He returned his tone to its normal brashness. "Yeah, no problem. Happy will pick you up in ten. I'm guessing the guy got away worse off since you're calling me."

 

Corinne had gotten up and retrieved a carry-on from her closet. She began placing clothes and essentials in it as she hummed an affirmative. "Never got away though. I've got him tied up in my room."

 

"Kinky."

 

"Ha ha." She replied sarcastically. His sexual innuendos were not new to her.

 

Voices in the background. "Bruce wants to know if you're okay for sure."

 

"Tell him I'm fine," she smiled to herself. The doctor was kind hearted. "Not one scratch on me. The other man looks worse. Anyways, I have to call the police soon to take him away. "

 

She contacted them, and they eventually arrived to take him off her hands. The two officers looked vaguely impressed at the state of the robber.

 

"You did a number on him." One of them said as her partner heaved him up. Something dropped out of his pockets with a clink at the motion. "That yours?"

 

It was a silver medallion the size of a quarter. There was an octopus like thing with a head of a skull engraved in it. She had never seen that symbol before, but it gave off an foreboding feeling.

 

"Not mine," said Corinne uneasily, "not sure if it's his either."

 

The officer nodded, encasing the intruder's hands in handcuffs over the zip ties Corinne already bound around his wrists. "Has anything happened recently that might have caused this?"

 

Minus her superhero duties, no. She hadn't bought anything new that someone would want to steal either. "No, he was probably just hoping for anything he could find."

 

"Well then, have a safe night." The cops nodded to her. The man's head lolled a bit as he was carried out.

 

Corinne saw them out the door. "Thank you and good night to you too."

 

Happy was waiting with a car when she got out of her apartment building, as promised. Corinne had a few encounters with him, but just enough to be an acquaintance. He seemed like a nice person, and cheerful like his nickname suggested.

 

Brief greetings were traded. They got her luggage into the back and were off.

 

"Hope I didn't cause too much inconvenience," Corinne said, "I know it's late."

 

Happy waved her off. "It's all part of the job. You get used to getting called to work at weird hours when you're working for Tony. But, I'm thinking of trying to get a promotion."

 

"You should go for it. I think you deserve it after dealing with Tony for so long." She joked.

 

The rest of the ride went by fairly quickly, with Happy knowing the best routes in the city. Thanking him, she was in the Avengers Tower in no time.

 

"Good evening Miss Lin," intoned JARVIS, "Doctor Bruce requests your presence on the common floor. He informs me that it is for your own health."

 

Corinne entered the elevator that was built specially for the Avengers' access to their floors. "Alright, thanks JARVIS."

 

"You are most welcome. Please enjoy your stay, and let me know if you need any assistance."

 

The elevator doors slid apart with a ding. Bruce was sitting at the kitchen island, plastic first aid kit in hand. Corinne took a seat on one of the stools with a sigh.

 

"I honestly don't have a scratch on me." She told him.

 

The doctor raised an eyebrow and tapped on his own cheek. She got out her phone as a mirror and it reflected the scrape on her face. Her mind thought back to the intense brawl and how the man's fist had grazed her. Idiotic man wore rings to a fist fight. Her hand went up instinctively but Bruce stopped her.

 

"You might infect it," he said gently. He then sanitized her cut just as gently with some wipes. The stinging but cooling sensation was oddly calming to her frayed nerves.

 

"He didn't leave right away." Corinne blurted out. She had been internally mulling over every detail of what happened. Bruce was someone she trusted and she couldn't help but voice her frustrations. "He left the window open to make me think he did, and then he attacked me. Then I thought he wanted to take me." She flinched at the thought of her fear coming true. Capture. Experimentation. "But he went for my bag next. I'm just so confused."

 

Bruce was a good listener and had been staying quiet throughout her rant. When she was done, he had placed a bandage on her cut. In an as comforting tone as he could, for he was angry that this had happened to his friend, he asked her a question. "What is in your bag?"

 

She was thankful for him understanding her need to resolve everything and helping her do that, instead of just consoling her.

 

Corinne opened her messenger bag. In it was her laptop, wallet, and her notebook. Realization dawned on her as she set her eyes on the fluorescent green book, full of notes on her power. "My research is in there. Do you think?…"

 

Bruce met her unsure look with a nod. "It could be a coincidence, but as much as I hate to say it, there are people out there who would do anything to get information on enhancements to further their own causes."

 

She was reminded once again how the man in front of her had suffered as a result from his abilities too. He acted so normal and opposite of his other self that it was easy to forget. Especially when all he had ever been to her was tranquil. "What should I do now? Go into hiding?" She couldn't imagine herself doing that.

 

"Live on. People like them are always here. Judging from tonight, you can defend yourself well enough. If anything, you're under SHIELD's and the Avengers' protection, and if something does happen-we would find you in no time."

 

Her posture slackened as she gave him a weary smile. He had managed to calm her with his reasoning. "Thank you."

 

"You're welcome," he put away the first aid kit, "go get some sleep. You look like Tony when he has been working on a new project."

 

She laughed. Their friend's habits were not healthy, but he was just too stubborn to be moved. "Night, Bruce."

 

"Good night."

 

She unpacked her belongings, cleaned up, and climbed into bed. It was unbelievably soft, probably worth more than she wanted to know, and she was quickly deep in her dreams.

* * *

 

Over the next few days, she made herself more aware of her surroundings. Whoever wanted her and her research was not going to catch her off her guard. She noticed some SHIELD agents just beyond her sight sometimes, and knew Fury must have learnt what had happened.

 

In her opinion, if they actually managed to get her, all she had to do was put herself in a shield. Corinne had anticipated all possibilities since she knew what she could do. There was nothing to fret over after the initial panic.

 

The others had reacted strongly to her situation.

 

Steve's features had hardened into one of fury when she walked into the training room of the day. His intensity did not subside as it switched from anger to concern. She tried to set his mind at ease, telling him that the person responsible was being punished accordingly. However, his eyes regularly fell on her bandage throughout the day.

 

Clint and Natasha hid their reactions better, with only a flicker of emotion revealed in their eyes. That millisecond of the dangerous gleam sent shivers down Corinne's spine. Natasha had asked her in a light voice who did it, with Clint listening intently, and she felt pity for her attacker. She told them as she had a feeling they would be able to find out anyway.

 

Tony stole her phone the next day in the lab, and returned it nonchalantly later. He told her he installed an app he made that would locate her anywhere in Earth and space with a press of the panic button. He left before she could thank him.

 

Bruce seemed like the only sensible one throughout this, though it might be because he controlled his anger well. He just checked her graze to make sure it was healing properly.

 

She didn't bother telling everybody her thoughts on why the man had attacked her, knowing that the drama following it would be pointless. Corinne brushed it off as a common robbery, though the agents were disbelieving as always.

 

But as much as she was annoyed with the overreaction, it confirmed her place as one of them.

 

She kept her valuable notes close as her research delved deeper and deeper. Corinne managed to recreate the solid energy construct, and already had ideas on how to use them.

 

As for how and where her DNA had mutated to allow her to create these force fields, she still did not know. She went back once in a while to the sequencer, but to no avail.

 

"Maybe it's beyond our understanding as of now," Corinne had thought out loud to Bruce during one of the days the group had breakfast together. It was a rare occurrence, but sometimes all of the Avengers minus Thor would gather at the Tower. Today they were having Bruce's popular pancakes at the kitchen island. "Maybe our equipment just can't pick up the anomaly."

 

Clint was drawn out of his conversation with Steve at this. "Maybe you should ask Thor."

 

"Thor?"

 

Bruce nodded thoughtfully. "He is from an advanced realm."

 

Excitement bubbled up in Corinne. "Do you think he could help me?" She hadn't thought of this since the demigod hasn't been seen since-

 

"If he comes back." Corinne realized disappointedly.

 

Steve gave her a sympathetic look. "He will, just after dealing with Loki."

 

"He has somebody to come back for too, and she's been working relentlessly at SHIELD to make an Einstein-Rosen Bridge," said Natasha.

 

"Dr. Jane Foster," Tony supplied, pouring himself a cup of coffee as he joined the group. He helped himself to a stack of pancakes and plopped down on a chair. Corinne and Bruce frowned as they noticed the increasingly tired state of their friend. The Battle of New York had affected him greatly, and he was not coping well. "Brilliant astrophysicist. Too bad SHIELD hired her before I could."

 

The name rang a bell in Corinne's head. "She was a TA for one of my physics courses at Culver. I've heard of her work in New Mexico a couple years ago."

 

"Well, she is now considered one of the most important astrophysicists out there because she developed a revolutionary theory on Einstein-Rosen Bridges. She could have connected Earth to Asgard if the Bifrost wasn't damaged." Elaborated Bruce.

 

_She would be the first to know when Thor returned._

 

"Do you think I could get into contact with her?" Corinne had not talked to her a lot during her classes, but hoped she would agree to let her know when Thor came back.

 

Natasha smirked. "Ask SHIELD, I'm sure they would be eager to help you."

 

Corinne got her hint. SHIELD had her signed as an Avenger, but not as a scientist. Yet. Or that's what they hoped. During one of her training sessions with Steve, an agent had given her another contract to consider. SHIELD had an eye on her not just because of her abilities, but her research as well.

 

She declined for now. SHIELD was not a terrible option for a scientist, but she had planned to finish her Masters first.

 

"I'll make sure to do that."

 

* * *

 

SHIELD had been receptive of her idea to meet up with Foster, keen on involving Corinne in SHIELD's scientific endeavors-even though astrophysics wasn't Corinne's area of expertise. She had spoken to Dr. Foster, and she had agreed to let her be in the know.

 

She gave a call once in a while, because even though she was specialized in biochemistry, Jane's work was fascinating. It was in her scientist nature to be curious. Just like with Tony and Bruce, she quickly bonded over the wonder of science.

 

Corinne thought that Jane would be a lot more heartbroken from  the absence of her significant other, but Jane was anything but that. The scientist was determined to a fault. Corinne's calls were usually picked up by her intern Darcy, who was actually another Culver graduate. Jane worked day and night and usually got so distracted she ignored real life, so Corinne got to know the intern too.

 

As time flew by, Corinne found herself less interested in the why and more interested in the now and what she could do.

 

She accomplished using the solid energy as material that would stay in anything she chose. The energy was weaved into fabric, plastic, and metal. The results were formidable. Like her own shields, the objects she injected her energy with could hold out against the strongest forces.

 

Corinne knew better than to keep them lying about though. Tony and Bruce agreed to her idea of removing the solid energy from the objects once they were done testing them, and destroying them. Tony has had his own experiences in having his creations taken by terrible people.

 

Her days were cycled through research, training, baking, and hanging out with the others.

 

On one of the days Natasha would stay at the Tower, she invited Corinne to a spar.

 

The spy assessed her progress, and offered some advice. Natasha taught her more useful skills than Rumlow ever did. Her methods were more escape, evade, and use others' brute force to your advantage. It had certainly worked for Corinne. They had a couple of spars before Natasha brought up what she really wanted to tell her about.

 

"I paid your intruder a visit a while ago," the redhead casually started during a water break, "he wasn't there."

 

Corinne froze, water bottle forgotten halfway to her mouth. "At the police station?" They could have been bailed out by now.  


Natasha shook her head. "Clint and I did some digging. Any police file on his arrest doesn't exist-he's wiped clean." She looked for something in Corinne's expression before continuing. "Bailed out, but no record."

 

"By who?" She had a feeling there was a reason why Natasha omitted who it was.

 

Natasha inspected their surroundings. "JARVIS, is there anyone in proximity?"

 

"No, Miss Romanov. Shall I set up the Blackout Privacy Protocol for you and Miss Lin?"

 

"Sure," Corinne responded, focused on Natasha who also agreed.

 

They waited for a moment before JARVIS' voice resonated throughout the gym again. "Blackout Privacy Protocol activated. No one is permitted to enter this gym, and no video or audio evidence would exist for as long as you decide."

 

Corinne was starting to get nervous. "So who was it?"

 

"SHIELD." Natasha said simply.

 

She was dumbfounded at first, but she connected the dots. "They orchestrated the whole thing."

 

"I don't think it's that. There's something going on with SHIELD lately," the former assassin contemplated, "I just wanted to tell you to be careful. Don't blindly trust SHIELD."

 

"I've got that part down perfectly. Thanks for telling me this."  She didn't know what Natasha meant by the things going on in SHIELD, but assumed she would find out soon enough. Corinne would be away in harmless Culver anyway.

 

"Good luck on your Masters," Natasha took a swig from her water bottle. She jabbed at the control panel to take away the mats they had sparred on.

 

Corinne smiled. "Thanks, good luck on your mission." She doubted she would need it.

 

Like anybody else, Corinne was intimidated by the spy at first. She was capable, and she knew it. As time went on, she realized that as long as you did nothing to provoke her, there's no reason to be scared. So she acted normally around her.

 

Natasha took a liking to her. Most people would either be jumpy around her, or be tripping trying to get on her good side. When Corinne did none of these annoying things, she found her more than tolerable.

 

A little smile played on Natasha's lips. "JARVIS, you can deactivate the Blackout Protocol now. "

 

"Blackout Privacy Protocol deactivated. I believe Mister Barton is looking for you, Miss Romanov."

 

"I'll find him. See you later." She nodded goodbye to Corinne. 

* * *

 

A quick shower later, Corinne headed to the common floor. The sunset  could be seen through the glass panes that made up the walls. The woman stared out at New York in contentment.

 

"Makes you feel like you're flying over everything."

 

Corinne jolted a little and turned to sigh at the voice. "Yes, it does. Funny you say that, _Hawkeye_."

 

"It's true, C-Force." Clint took a perch beside Corinne on the couch. "Get it? Corinne and force field."

 

Corinne laughed. They had started this since he started training Steve and her. "That one's pretty good. But I don't need an alias."

 

"You're an Avenger!" Clint exclaimed in exaggerated offense. "You need a cool one. What else are we going to call you during missions?"

 

"If we really do have one, I think it'll be the last thing on our minds. Besides, I think we're safe for now-Loki's locked up."

 

The archer shrugged. "Don't jinx it."

 

Their usual banter ended, and they fell into a companionable silence. Corinne discovered that Clint was a really fun guy once you got to know him. He didn't always train them on their training days, but she did see him a lot more since she moved in. Clint enjoyed staying at the Tower, reasoning that SHIELD facilities were way too utilitarian.

 

And of course, there were the game nights.

 

Corinne was reminded that it was game night tonight as the others started filtering in. If you told Corinne months ago that superheroes that saved the world would sit down and play board games, she would have not believed a single word.

 

It happens, though.

 

The ritual's first origins came from when the whole team played Mario Kart. But it really began as Corinne was acquainting Steve with the twenty-first century at the Tower after training. They did this frequently with the convenience of the common floor. Movies, books, and music were what they usually shared. Corinne would share the new and her personal favourites, and the Steve would share his own old favourites. That day was different as they decided to show each other board games. Corinne had brought Jenga, one of her favourite games as a kid, that day to show Steve.

 

"It was invented in 1980s," Corinne was explaining as she set it up, "It's pretty simple and fast, but gets intense."

 

Steve, as always, caught on quickly and excelled at the slightly strategic game. Together, they got the tower to the height of Corinne standing up. That's when the others started trickling in.

 

"Jenga!" Tony shouted. "And you didn't invite me."

 

At this disruption, Steve jumped, the tower wobbled too much, and scattered onto the floor.

 

"Tony." Steve and Corinne said in exasperated unison.

 

The brunette glanced at the pile of wooden blocks. "Sorry," he grinned, "Look, I'll make it up to you guys. I'll make it the tallest it can be."

 

So Tony joined their game of Jenga, which wasn't a bad thing since he did help tremendously. Also, the billionaire needed the break from his workshop.

 

"Can I join?" Clint asked as he came in, Natasha not far behind. They were greeted with the sight of Corinne sitting on Steve's shoulders to place a piece on top of a huge Jenga tower. Tony was directing the exact angle it needed to be placed from the floor.

 

They were quickly included. Bruce came by, and eventually everyone was involved.

 

They set up dates for the game nights, and everyone tried to make it. A lot of the time, Natasha and Clint wouldn't arrive because of missions. But everyone tried their best. Mostly because it was fun, but also because it helped Steve.

 

Sometimes instead of playing the chosen game the whole night, they would go off track and just talk. This was one of those nights.

 

Tonight they played Cards Against Humanity for an hour, before the drinks were brought out. As the night went on, everyone opened up.

 

"Okay, worst injuries?" Clint asked, before telling them his own. "Bullet to my shooting arm during Budapest."

 

Tony tapped his arc reactor. "This thing."

 

"Head injury in Budapest," Natasha shrugged, "messed with my thinking."

 

Bruce shifted in his seat. "Bullet."

 

The others caught on and left it at that. The original Avengers knew what he was talking about from the heated dispute between them on the Helicarrier. Corinne knew from their own discussions.

 

"A wound from a bomb during the war." Steve swirled his drink in his hand. It was useless in blurring his memories. "Didn't heal up as quickly as the usual scrape."

 

The others cast expecting looks on Corinne. For her, the answer is clear. But she doesn't want to tell them about it.

 

Instead, Corinne just says with a laugh. "Broken leg was _the_ worst."

 

They laugh along with her at that.

 

"Worst one _yet_." Tony points at her jokingly. "Wait a little while."

 

"It's in the job description," Clint just says. It seemed like a joke on the outside, but was laced with truth.

 

The room erupted into light laughter again. Corinne rolled her eyes, but smiled. This was why everybody tried to show up on game nights. The common floor became so much livelier as they took a breather from their daily lives, and let themselves unwind.  


"Pardon me, but there is a call from Director Fury. He says it is an emergency." Everyone stilled in their good cheer. Several of them snapped to attention.

 

"Put him through." Natasha replied promptly.  
  
JARVIS abided and the director's voice came through. "There is some disturbance happening right now that requires the Avengers. We believe a dangerous group has gotten hold of Chitauri weapons, made them fully functional, and are currently terrorizing civilians. The coordinates have been sent to you."  
  
The Avengers didn't linger around.   
  
Tony made arrangements with JARVIS. "Meet at the helipad in five. The jet will be ready."  
  
"I'll go suit up." Steve said as he took off in a sprint. The others did the same.  
  
Although they had to abandon their game night, they didn't mind. Because there wasn't anything better they did together than fighting off threats to Earth.  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried to balance out bonding time and action. I hope it worked out okay. For those who were hoping for less action, sorry :( kind of have to move the plot along, but i tried to incorporate bonding into action :)
> 
> Thanks for reading! Let me know what you think


	5. Chapter 5

Tony, Bruce, and Corinne were the first ones on the jet.

The Iron Man suit transported itself, so Tony got a couple more minutes to prepare the jet for flight. Bruce didn't have a uniform, and neither did Corinne.

Corinne was in some athletic wear flexible enough to move in. The doctor gave her the look, to which she simply grinned and looked away. She didn't require protective clothing anyway, as she had protection in a second's time if she needed it.

Right on time, the other Avengers started filtering in. The ones that had uniforms kept a spare in the Tower, so it took little time for them to get ready. As soon as everyone was buckled in, Tony and Natasha took them to the air.

"Where are we going?" Steve asked, stance and expression in what Corinne liked to call mission mode. Even though Tony acted like he was the boss, there was no denying that Steve lead them in times like this.

"Belfast, Maine." Natasha replied promptly. She took up one of the pilot seats, flipping switches and levers with ease. "Small town, but Intel says the group is planning to transfer the weapons from the coast to Europe. They could have sneaked off if they hadn't decided to attack some civilians and take them back to where we're going now."

Corinne felt the jet take off with a smooth ascent while securely strapped to her seat. The others were also strapped in at the sides of the aircraft. She could tell they were going at a rapid speed as the city she saw through the glass quickly became a blur. A couple screens hung from the ceiling, and she pulled one down to her eye level.

On it was the map of the area, and several photos of the location they were flying to. She expanded until she saw an old, plain building. An abandoned factory. Classic. Looking at it from different angles, she said, "There's four doors. We could split up and go in?"

The wheels in Steve's head turned . "Iron Man, you're with Black Widow. You two will enter from the east. Hulk and I will go through the west entrance. Corinne and Hawkeye will be outside," he pointed at the surrounding area of trees, "Hawkeye will be better where he can get a good viewpoint. You two will be backup that will go to whatever team needs back up at a moment's notice."

Everyone nodded their understanding. It was logical, and seemingly flawless. For a second, Corinne wanted to protest against the plan. She felt like she should be doing more, but she reminded herself that backup was just as important as anything.

"See, this is why you need a moniker," Clint whispered to her with a raise of his eyebrows.

"You jinxed this." Corinne said back in the same manner. The lighthearted banter did nothing to help calm her stuttering heart.

After all, it was her first official mission as an Avenger. She had no hesitations in helping when needed, but she was scared. Her fear wasn't for her own life, however. The first time had been just a drop in role to aid the group. This time, she had an active role where others' lives depended on her.

_I can do this._  Corinne told herself.

"We're here." Tony's tinny voice resonated behind his face plate. Corinne could see from the windows that they had landed just a distance away from the abandoned factory but under the cover of the forest.

There was no need for words as they swiftly got to their positions. Clint and Corinne climbed onto the branches of the trees as the others prepared to barge in.

"Alright, ready?" Captain America muttered through his com, and several affirmed their preparedness. "Now."

Corinne waited with bated breath as they made their way through the factory. She could hear them checking the rooms. It went on for two minutes when Corinne felt a tug at her gut.

_Something's not right._  She communicated in a shared look to Clint.

He inclined his head silently. He spoke in a hushed tone to the others. "Anything?"

"Nothing." Captain America replied.

"Ditto on this end." Said Iron Man.

Black Widow murmured thoughtfully. "Did the analysts make a mis-"

It was then Corinne saw a group of people come out if the building. Carrying the very same alien weapons, there was no doubt this was the dangerous group. "They are outside. Position?"

"Middle of the factory. We can be out in one." She could already hear them running.

"Do not engage them."

The group trickled out with several huge men at the front armed with the Chitauri guns. There had to be at least fifty of them with the weapons. Corinne's breath halted at the sight of their captives. They were civilians of every age, and they looked like they had been through more than any human should. One of them limped forward like they had a broken leg, and was struggling to keep up with the pace.

A goon growled in frustration, and shoved the head of his gun into their back. The captive, just a woman her age, winced and visibly strained to walk faster. It wasn't fast enough for the goon, and Corinne listened in horror as the squeal of the gun activating in his hand sounded.

Without a thought, she waved a barrier over the woman to protect her from the blast. The man carried through with his shot unknowingly and was pushed back when the force of the shot bounced off of her shield. The group startled, and the armed men lifted their guns at the captives.

"Did one of you do that?"

When no one made a sound except for the man groaning on the ground, the men got more anxious. Corinne, with trepidation, witnessed again the noisy activation screech that meant they were going to fire at one of the people.

Corinne turned to Clint, impatience in her expression. He unwillingly held up four, then five fingers. Forty-five seconds until the others would come.

"Weapons are too unstable, we can't risk one of them getting hurt from an alien weapon." He signed at her. Clint had been rendered partially deaf in the field, and had taught her American sign language as part of her training.

How she would love to not be able ti understand, and just go. She clenched her hands into fists. They were just below her. She was so close.

Corinne heard a sharp intake of breath through her earpiece.

"What is it?" That sinking feeling in her stomach intensified.

"Uh, I think we might be held up for a bit. Can you two handle it for five?"

Corinne's gaze slid back to the hostages and their kidnappers. A bald man trained his gun at a teenage boy who was on the brink of tears. "We don't need so many of you anyway! Somebody better speak up or we'll pick you off one by one."

Of course, nobody in the huddled mass of trembling prisoners dared utter anything. The man shook his head and pulled the trigger. The blue energy shot forth, but dissipated against thin air.

"Again? Who the hell-"

"Hi." The men's heads whipped around to the voice. Corinne descended to the ground on a shield slowly, relishing in the intimidated faces of the terrible men. She could feel Clint's intense gaze on her back, but knew he was pulling his bowstring taut and prepared to help her in a second.

Corinne had pulled her hood over her head, casting a shadow over her face. The people couldn't quite see her entire face, so she could hopefully keep her identity to herself. The grown men shivered at the sight of her smile.

They didn't waste any time in making a decision. "Get any closer and I'll shoot this one." Bald pointed the deadly object at another person as if they were nothing.

She sprinted towards them, multiple small but powerful shields forcefully knocking men to the ground. Baldy shot the gun, only to have it deflect off of the dome barrier she made over the civilian.

"They'll find you now," sweat beaded on the man's forehead as Corinne advanced, "they'll get you."

A swish in the air and the man was clutching his arm where an arrow stuck out. His weapon fell to the ground and Corinne kicked it away from him.

"Didn't your parents teach you to not play with other people's toys?" She made some complicated movements with her fingers, and a solid yellow piece of glass just hovering over her open palm materialized. With the barest movement from her index finger, the disk was whirring like a blade.

She brought it down on the Chitauri weapon, and it sliced through it-metal and all. The man was passed out on the ground from fear. Deeming it safe, Corinne turned away to deal with the other goons.

She mostly pushed the men around with her invisible barriers, nothing too lethal. An arrow would occasionally slice through the air to pick off somebody who got too close to Corinne. The archer was leaping from tree to tree to avoid the blasts once they discovered him.

While knocking three men off their feet with a large energy shield, she spoke to Clint. "You didn't have to shoot him."

"And wait 'til you scared him out of consciousness?" She could hear the smirk in his voice. "He'll live, just like the rest of his buddies."

The woman made a force field cut an energy blast that was meeting her head on. The split shot was diverted away from her and she felt the crackling power as it shot past her in halves. "If SHIELD lets them."

They made quick work of all the goons. With the civilians rooted to their spots by the defense she put over them, no harm was done to them. The so called dangerous group lay at their feet, unmoving save for their breathing.

She dissolved the barriers surrounding the captives she had made once she was once the ground with a sigh of relief, but a sense of pride. Nobody got hurt. The civilians were not very responsive, possibly due to the shock. Corinne tried to see to the injured, but could do nothing without the proper medical supplies.

"SHIELD's arriving soon. They'll be fine." Clint jumped to the ground lightly. "The others aren't here yet."

Corinne met his concerned look with her own. She tapped her earpiece. "Guys?"

"We're coming out," the two heard and watched as their friends came out with more people.

The slumped people they had in their arms had a tinge of blue in their skin, and as close to death as Corinne had ever seen somebody be. One of the civilians snapped out of his stupor and ran up towards the woman Steve was supporting.

"Kyla!" He called in panic. His hands fluttered over her, wanting to help, but not quite sure how to. She didn't respond.

The Avengers watched the one sided exchange in silence, feeling useless. It hit Corinne hard the most, as she thought she had been able to protect everyone.

"How did this happen to them?" Corinne asked.

"One of the rooms inside the factory had a ton of equipment…" Steve trailed off.

"They were experimenting on them." Natasha finished bluntly.

Corinne glanced at the Hulk, who had several people slung over his shoulders. "Now would be a good time for Bruce to come back, so he can check on them." Without his medical knowledge, they'll have to stand there and just wait for SHIELD.

Hulk huffed, lifting his shoulders to emphasize the fact that he had to carry the dozen people he had right now.

Tony, who had been in a frustrated silence until now, glowered at the goons sprawled on the ground. "They were taking them somewhere."

_For more experimentation._

"We'll see if SHIELD intel has anything on where they were headed," said Clint, twirling an arrow in thought. A whirring sound came from overhead and the Avengers looked up to see several SHIELD aircrafts. Corinne released a breath of relief.

Movement was sensed on the side. Her head turned to see Bald focus his gun on Clint, who was several feet away from her. She reached her hand out to make him a shield. The bullet richoeted off of the barrier.

But she didn't have a moment to breathe.

The bald man had immediately rolled over to grab a Chitauri weapon.

"Corinne, on your left!"

The woman saw the blue light coming, but stayed where she was in fear of it hitting one of the civilians or team members behind her. The blow hit her in her abdomen, rendering her breathless on the grass.

She heard a gunshot followed by a man's, probably Bald's, groan.

The others rushed to surround her and voiced their concern. She laid there in a disoriented haze.

"Corinne!"

"Oh god, are you okay?"

"Status?"

"Don't do this, this is your first mission."

"I'm fine." She sat up despite the protests from the others. A pained groan escaped her lips, but she waved them off. She lifted her shirt to show the others the yellow film on her midsection. A fracture split it, but other than that, there was no gaping hole in her.

Several of them fell back on their knees with a sigh. "You couldn't have told us earlier?"

Corinne inspected the flexible barrier she had made on her skin. The Chitauri shot never bounced off of it, instead it seemed to have absorbed by her shield. "Didn't really have time, and I wasn't sure if it was going to work or not."

"That was reckless," Steve looked right at her, emotions running through his eyes. Concern, relief, frustration. He held out his hand to help her up, reminding her of combat training.

"I'm a literal shield," Corinne reasoned, accepting his hand. She winced at the movement. She might have blocked a fatal blow, but she had no doubt that a bruise had already begun forming.

Clint agreed. "Thanks and all, but don't be that jerk that gets hurt and we all have to worry."

"Works in movies, but sucks in real life." Tony added in, his own experiences surfacing on his mind. "Come on, let's head back to the jet."

"You need to get that checked out," Natasha was putting her gun back to her belt. Her tone was firm and allowed for no argument. "Though he won't be raising his arm anytime soon."

The SHIELD people were already milling around, getting all of the civilians onto their own jets. The injured would finally get the care they needed. With that taken care of, the Avengers flew back home as the sun rose.

* * *

"The woman has a much more useful skill set than we have imagined." A voice echoed through a cool, dark room. Several screens took over a wall. "Her powers now have a solid form that cuts through the alien metal and even the energy blasts from the gun. She has melded it onto her own body as a protective suit of sorts."

"She shows promise." Fingers tapped rhymntically on a wooden surface.

"We already have several agents in place supervising her. They are ready to extract her anytime."

The person tapping paused in their beat. "No."

"No? But they may come to Earth by then."

"She is currently under the protection of the Avengers." They watched the screens at the scene of her lying down with the Avengers surrounding her. "The risk is too high. Ideally, we should do it after Project Insight, or until they disband. The woman is not just any civilian, and she is aware of the danger she is in. My sources tell me she has been overly cautious as of late."

"Do you believe we can restrain her?"

"At the right moment. Take a look at our most precious Asset here," they regarded the glass capsule containing an immobilized brunet man with a metal arm, "if the Scepter experiment goes well, we will have even more Assets to dispatch."

"The original subjects have been released by the Avengers, which includes her."

"Two birds with one stone then. Once we acquire her, she won't be causing trouble anymore with SHIELD's puppets."

"And the others won't try to find her? They seem attached." The feed on the screen still played, showing the heroes laughing together on their way to their jet.

"I have a plan," a wide smile spread on their face, "just wait." A screech of a chair. "Hail Hydra."

"Hail Hydra."

* * *

Days turned into weeks, and weeks turned into months. Towards the end of August, she knew she had to go back to Virginia to finish her Masters at Culver. Her training at SHIELD came to a pause, and she began preparing to leave for peaceful Willowdale.

The others were slowly leaving the dysfunctional family they had made at the Tower. Everyone usually dropped in and out with the exception of Bruce, Corinne, and Tony. On the occasions they did manage to get together at the same place at the same time, it's great. When the world was not in danger of extraterrestrial invasion, they got along fairly well.

But each person had their own responsibilities. Thor was still in Asgard and had not returned yet. Clint and Natasha had been sent on short missions throughout the summer, but both were due for a long term one soon. Bruce wanted to go back to Calcutta. Steve was now considered adequately trained and being sent off on his own missions. He was considering moving to Washington DC. Tony was going to stay at his mansion in Malibu at the request of Pepper. He kept the Avengers Tower open for all of them. While Corinne was saddened to leave for university, the others were also drifting off on their own paths.

There was only a week left until Corinne had to go.

She took over the kitchen on the common floor on one of the last few days. When distressed, she found herself baking. Creating something good did wonders for her. The others didn't mind at all.

"Oh, cookies! You shouldn't have." Corinne turned around to see Clint practically inhaling one. "You feeling down, Cori?"

It was known to all inhabitants of the Tower that when they smelled a sweet aroma in the middle of the night, it meant that the woman had things on her mind-whether it was research or otherwise. Clint almost always swung by to take advantage of the baked goods and see how she was doing.

Corinne sighed. "It's nothing, just…I'm leaving soon."

"And?" Clint took another cookie, still giving her his attention.

"It feels weird to be leaving. I've been here so long," she helped herself to a treat, "I'll need to get used to not having the whole team around."

"I get it, but we're all probably going to be together again. Aliens and wannabe world rulers, you know? For now, you'll finally get some peace and quiet." He joked.

Corinne gave a laugh, shaking her head. "That's true, but I've grown to like it." She got up and pulled the drawers, searching the contents. With a small noise of triumph, she pulled out several plastic containers.

"Well, I'm going to miss these late night snacks." He muttered as he helped her store the cookies in the boxes.

"That's it?" Corinne raised an eyebrow.

"Maybe the person who makes them." He drawled with a halfhearted grin.

She hummed. Somehow procuring some sticky notes, she wrote each Avenger's name on them and stuck them on. Adults are presumably mature and able to split desserts among themselves, but their dysfunctional family defied expectations. The first time she baked, the Tower was absolute chaos with everyone fighting over every cupcake. Corinne had been puzzled, but Bruce explained to her that everyone just didn't get homemade treats often. She didn't know everyone's family background inside and out, but she had a vague idea. After their first or second mission as a team, they became even closer than she thought possible. Like the Battle of New York where she met them, nothing like fighting for humanity brought people together better. They had relied on each other with their already established trust. Everyone had shown their care for one another.

Corinne and Clint developed a stronger friendship. When the mission backfired, the duo learned to actually complement each other during battle. And of course, Corinne's willingness to take a figurative bullet, while she would do for everyone else, furthered it.

The woman shook her head to herself.  _Fury was absolutely right_ , she thought,  _but he'll never hear me admit it_.

"Evening," the greeting rang out from the doorway. Her familiar blond friend stood with his hands stuffed in his pockets and a lopsided smile. "Or morning?"

JARVIS was quick to help. "It is currently 2 AM, Mr. Rogers."

Clint held up a hand. "Hi Stevie."

"Hey man with the plan," Corinne pushed Steve's container in front of her, "cookie? Borrowed Beth's new recipe."

Steve was also a consistent late night visitor. Having slept for decades, and being plagued with old memories when he managed to get to sleep, he often opted not to.

"Thank you." He accepted the Tupperware labelled in neat script gratefully, shooting her a sheepish yet charming smile. "I'm excited to try them."

"My pleasure." She looked at the chocolate drizzled cookies thoughtfully. "Tell me what you think, Beth wants me to get feedback on this. She loves getting her recipes 'Avengers Approved'."

Clint tapped his ear and cocked his head to the side. "Hearing aid's acting up." He signed goodbye to Corinne, and she signed it back.

"How's your stomach?" Steve asked after Clint left. He leaned forward on the counter.

Corinne stiffened. The single drawback on her powers had acted up during one of their spars. Mid kick, Corinne's body had shuddered and fallen from the electrifying pain of her aftershocks. It gave Steve a huge scare, sending him almost lifting her up and sprinting to the nearest hospital. Corinne had to reluctantly explain to him what exactly had happened.

She placed her hand the area she had been hit. "It's fine. The Chitauri blast was absorbed instead of reflected off, so I think that's why the reaction was so strong."

She was still getting aftershocks everyday. Every time she had to stop in whatever she was doing because the agony, she hoped that it would be the last time. It should be dwindling. She didn't want to worry Steve so much.

His eyes searched hers. He was about to prod some more, but decided to leave it. If she said she could handle it, she could. "That's a relief."

They then took their usual positions. Steve would be at the sink washing the baking pans, bowls, and other utensils. Corinne would dry and store them, all while striking up conversation. Once in a while, the others would drop in and give a hand if needed. But most of the time, the common floor's kitchen would be filled with talk of old times and new, accompanied by the sweet presence of recent baking.

"And then Bucky dragged me away before I could start a third fight." Soap bubbles were flinged into the air as Steve gesticulated wildly.

Corinne laughed heartily. Steve did not have a pretty past, but there were moments. When he shared his past shenanigans with Bucky, she appreciated it. She knew it was difficult for him, and admired how he faced it head on. He shared his stories to her because he trusted her, and she understood his need to share. The stories about the war often left Corinne feeling sick, but she listened. It made everything she learned about the Howling Commandos in class so much more  _human_.

Other times, the stories were lighthearted like tonight. She had been surprised to hear Steve had actually been the reckless one. He explained to her that it was Bucky that kept him from getting killed. It made sense. After all, it was Steve who kept forging his applications to join the army. It was easy to assume he was all proper and serious. The truth was so much better.

"He sounds great," Corinne commented.

Steve finished up the last bowl with a hint of nostalgia in his eye. "You would have gotten along with him." They put away the last of the kitchen equipment and walked over to the elevator.

"You think?" Corinne pressed the elevator button.

"Absolutely."

Steve saw her to her floor, and they parted ways. The door opened with a swish. She stepped inside, and felt her foot hit something on the floor. Corinne crouched down and picked it up.

It was an ordinary grey box with the SHIELD insignia on it. Some slanted handwriting imprinted on a fluorescent sticky note.

Just in case, it read. This is bulletproof.

She lifted the cover to see some black fabric. Taking it out, she saw that it was a suit similar to that of Natasha's. There were several differences though, including a hood and other things she was too tired to figure out. The material was probably the same body armor fabric Natasha wore. Corinne eyed the clothing with appraisal. She made a mental note to thank them sometime.

The woman carefully folded it and placed it back into its box. She opened her suitcase and put the box among her other items which had been packed for her flight to Virginia.

* * *

**I'm having like four exams this week, but I felt like I needed to update to celebrate Age of Ultron this Friday! Super excited.**

**I'm going to watch it on Friday, is anybody else?**

**Ask or tell me stuff if you want-I don't bite.**

**04.29.15.**


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Corinne gets her answers from the least likely of people.

 

**Corinne gets her answers from the least likely of people.**

* * *

"Have fun at school kiddo."

Corinne scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Tony, you're not that much older than me. And," she interrupted as he opened his mouth to retort, "if you compare how many years apart we are, it'll only make you feel ancient." She grinned at his conflicted expression.

Natasha, Bruce, and Steve hid their own smirks and smiles. Each donning sunglasses and some sort of hat, the entire group looked out of place in the airport. Luckily, the security had been notified and most people were too busy worrying about making their flight. It was a rare occurrence nobody had swarmed at Tony for autographs yet.

Tony had offered her one of his jets, but she had refused. He had done more than enough for what used to be a stranger. Everyone had done more than enough.

Corinne blinked rapidly. She never would have thought they would become this close knit family. She adjusted her grip on her luggage distractedly.

Steve took notice of her emotional state, and inched forward, deliberately blocking her from view. "May I?"

She nodded. While Steve understood and respected that she could handle herself just fine, the manners his mother had taught him had not worn off. Corinne just let him, not offended. The way he did it, it was simply polite.

The group stopped at the entrance of the security check, and began their goodbyes. With Corinne first, the others were going to depart too. This was probably the last time they would be united as a whole until the world needed saving.

"Your aim better not get worse," Clint crossed his arms, pretending to be a strict trainer, mannerisms similar to Rumlow, "I expect you to still be in shape when you graduate."

"Yes, Agent Rumlow." Corinne said without missing a beat, and they did their handshake. Clint retreated to the back, and Tony sauntered towards her.

"I hope the next time I see you isn't on the news." She said to the billionaire.

"Your sassiness is improving," he replied, "Same to you, Cori." He gave her a peace sign and walked away, not one for emotional farewells.

His more quiet friend smiled at her as he came into view. "What he said. I hope you do well in Culver. Remember to protect that," he looked at her messenger bag, then back at her, "and yourself too."

She smiled back sincerely. "Thanks, Bruce. Take care."

Steve was next, reluctantly handing back her luggage. "You still have to show me that movie you promised. 'From the Future'?"

"Close, 'Back to the Future.' And I will, in a couple of months." They exchanged a brief hug. "Until then, go through that list. I'm sure Tony also has tons of suggestions."

He pulled a face at that. "I'm sure he does. See you soon, doll."

Natasha was last, and she gave Corinne a wink. "Make sure you remember what I told you. Safe travels." She pressed a small kiss on Corinne's cheek.

With one last wave, Corinne turned away and was off.

* * *

"Doctor."

"Agent."

"Any update on retrieving the subjects at SHIELD?"

"Yes, SHIELD's grip on them is too tight. It seems like we'll have to wait until Project Insight."

"That's unfortunate."

"And the situation at the research facility?"

"We've acquired a group of volunteers in Sokovia. They are under the assumption that they are doing it for their country. Two particular people, twins, are very promising."

"Excellent. And Corinne Lin?"

"Monitored as always."

* * *

"The radiation from this," Corinne pointed to the formula, "could hypothetically reverse the effects of that radiation."

The woman listening to her inclined her head in understanding. Her fingers drummed on her notes in thought. "So you're saying if we can somehow make that happen, the people effected will be completely normal? It's hard to believe. This isn't focused on just one area of their body."

"I know, Bonnie. But there's hardly any choice for them. They're dying, and the others at SHIELD can't figure it out either." Corinne sighed, and stared at the papers.

Corinne had taken on a project from SHIELD and had managed to have the university consider it as a part of her studies. Not long after arriving at Culver, SHIELD had contacted her about the victims from the experimentation. They were slowly but surely dying from whatever had been done to them. She had agreed without hesitation.

The other woman before her had been sent to be the connection between Corinne and SHIELD, and also be a second scientist for Corinne.

"I'll report to SHIELD on your idea, maybe the others can develop something from this." Bonnie stopped tapping and gathered the papers together. "You should take a break and work on your force shields."

"That's not important right now. There's _lives_ at stake." She stressed, running a hand through her messy bun. She didn't understand how Bonnie could encourage to think about her own powers while people were dying.

Bonnie's lips pursed. "SHIELD does not want to hinder any improvements in your abilities. The other scientists back on base can handle this."

"I-" An upbeat song started playing, and Corinne fished out the phone. The loud ringtone was easily recognizable, and told her who called. She shot Bonnie a look and held up her finger. One minute.

"Hey Darcy." Corinne forced a cheerful quality in her voice. "What's up?"

"Hi Cors, just wanted to remind you that you're supposed to meet with Jane on Saturday. Since I'm her assistant and all."

Corinne panicked for a moment, then remembered the plane tickets already on her fridge. "Gotcha. Thanks, Darce. Talk to you later?"

"Count on it." The line clicked close.

Bonnie spoke as soon as the conversation ended. "Maybe it's best that you spend some time with Dr. Foster. Her genius, while not in biology, might rub off of you."

"I will find the cure." She said without flinching at the jab. "Those people won't die."

Bonnie regarded her for a moment, then smirked at whatever she saw in Corinne. "Let me know when you find it." She turned and disappeared out the door.

* * *

Gasping breaths sounded throughout a bathroom.

Corinne groaned painfully from her position in front of her mirror. Her knuckles were pale with her hands clutching the edge of the sink. A particularly huge spike rolled through her body, and she all but collapsed.

_This shouldn't be happening for so long. It's been three months since I've been hit._

The woman swiftly pulled herself up as the aftershocks died down. It was ridiculous how she had grown used to these aftershocks. Occasionally wincing, she grabbed her bag and went out the door.

She saw the hectic London traffic as she got out of the hotel. Corinne hailed a cab and after giving the address, let herself ponder on her aftershocks.

Was she linked to the other people now dying from Chitauri blasts? That would make SHIELD's project for her as vital as she thought it had been.

"Here we are," announced the driver.

Corinne looked out the window to see the designated restaurant, taking out her wallet. "Thank you."

Jane and Darcy weren't there yet as Corinne was seated at one of the clothed tables. She perused the menu several times, before eventually dialling Jane's number.

As usual, Jane did not pick up. Corinne immediately tapped Darcy's contact. She picked up on the third ring.

"Hey? Oh shit, we were supposed to be at the restaurant. Jane!"

Darcy called for Jane some more but got no reply.

"Uh, Jane went off somewhere but you should come."

"What's happening?"

"Cool science." Darcy gave a whoop of excitement. "A portal thingy."

"A portal?" Corinne quickly gathered her coat and bag. "Where are you?"

"Jane? Darcy?" Corinne scanned the area. It was empty except for the cab she took and another car that must have been Jane's.

Darcy's voice rang out from a building. "Over here!"

She bounded over to where she had heard Darcy. A deserted factory. She didn't have great experiences with these kind of places.

Looking up from the stairs, she spotted her friend throwing objects down. Weirdly, Corinne didn't hear when anything dropped. She looked up again to see objects that had been thrown falling from above again.

"It's a real portal." Corinne gaped in amazement, then was set off in a frenzy. "Do you have any equipment with you? The data from this is going to be groundbreaking! Where's Jane?"

Darcy shrugged, lips twisting into a frown. "Been gone for hours. I called the police just now."

"Hi Corinne," the woman they were speaking of appeared from a doorway. She smiled at her fellow scientist.

Corinne furrowed her brows. Something was off about her friend. She shook her head and smiled back, heading towards her with her arms open. "Jane! It's been what, a month? Any progress-"

Her words were cut short as their hug was intercepted by a some red force. The dark red spiraled like smoke.

"What was that?" Darcy muttered.

Corinne checked if she had put any shields up. She didn't.

Sirens signalled police arriving nearby. They descended the stairs. Jane turned around to Darcy and started arguing.

"Tell me you didn't call the police!"

"Jane! You were gone for five hours!"

Light flashed and thunder rumbled overhead. Rain followed shortly afterwards. It diverted from Jane's area, despite Corinne not putting up a force field.

Jane suddenly gasped, and hurried over to a figure in silver and red.

"He's?"

"Thor is finally back." Corinne winced at the slaps Jane gave him. She turned away at their reunion. Darcy, however, got tired of the rain and had no qualms about interrupting.

"Hey! Is this you?" The intern gestured at the drops.

Jane and Darcy exchanged their usual banter, then Jane left to speak with the police. Thor made small talk with Darcy before he noticed Corinne.

He beamed. "Shield maiden Corinne!"

"Thor." She grinned back.

"You are faring well, yes?" He patted her shoulder amiably.

"I am," she answered automatically, "How was Asgard?"

"Good, although we've had some trouble in the other realms." His gaze flickered. "Jane tells me you have been waiting to ask me something."

Corinne nodded. "I was wondering if my powers were like any of those of people in Asgard. But more importantly now, several people are dying a slow death from being hit by the Chitauri weapons."

Thor followed her train of thought. "The healers in Asgard may be of help."

"Can they come?" Hope sparked in her.

The demigod shook his head gravely. "No, Odin is strict about-"

Some kind of red force erupted and knocked over the police. Even Corinne, Darcy, and Thor felt the vibrations from a few feet away. The astrophysicist herself lay in the center of it.

"Jane!" Thor shouted as he went to her. He argued with the police before calling for somebody Corinne didn't know. Heimdall?

Within seconds, a beam of light engulfed the couple. Darcy and Corinne watched in awe, but then realized that they were gone.

After dealing with the police, Darcy and Ian went back to Jane's apartment. They guessed Jane wouldn't be back for a long time. Corinne declined their offer of a ride back and went back inside the factory.

She passed by the staircase they had been on and explored the other corridors. Most of them were nothing special, until she came upon a room that wasn't quite a room.

It was a cave, with rocky walls and a damp atmosphere. She continued forward, following a ray of light, until she found the opening. It revealed a stunning, futuristic kingdom on water. A shining beacon of a palace was in the center of it all.

"This must be Asgard."

* * *

Corinne had managed to get off the island with an old boat on the shore. She was now on her way to the palace, figuring that Thor and Jane would be there. The bridge underneath her feet shone with an array of colours. It felt like walking on a rainbow. She had to double check if she was dreaming because everything was so dazzling. Just before she reached the gate, two guards approached her.

"What is a Midgardian doing here?" One of them said.

"I'm...a friend of Thor's." Maybe it was a bit bold to associate herself with the prince, but what other connection did she have?

The two muttered quietly before making a decision. "You are to see the Allfather."

"Odin?" She inquired as they grasped her at the elbows and lead her.

"Yes, as you have trespassed this realm."

The king was on his throne when she was escorted into the throne room. He looked weary. The guards bowed, and in turn, Corinne did too.

"We discovered this Midgardian on the bridge."

Odin observed her, then he abruptly stood up. "Bring her closer." She was moved directly under his gaze and he glared at her. He extended a hand, and she flinched backwards. Odin simply waved his hand in the air, and she felt a wave of magic wash over her. " _Álfheimir_. This is no mere Midgardian. An Álfhemir has somehow travelled to Midgard, breaking one of my ancient laws. Cast her into the dungeons."

"Wait!" The guards hesitated at her exclamation, but it gave her a pause to finish. "When the Chitauri attacked, some of their weapons hit some people. They're dying right now, and we need a cure-"

"I will do as I see fit." Odin turned away from her. "Put her in a separate cell from other inmates."

Her heart sank at his quick dismissal. _I need to save those people._

The guards nodded, bowed, and tugged her along. They moved through hallways she would have marvelled at if she had the time. Eventually they went underground to another cave like area. The prison cells were full of inmates, and the aliens looked at her, an alien to them, curiously. Most of the cells were occupied, except for several at the farthest end.

The guards shoved her into a cell there. The walls of the cell were made of energy fields, and she tried hacking at them with her own. No luck.

_I need to get out of here. The people who were experimented on..._

"Long time no see," a velvet voice spoke from behind her.

She turned to see another prisoner in a cell just beside her. Dark hair, compelling green eyes, and one devious smile. "Loki." Corinne glared at him. Everything-the destroyed city, the suffering of the experimented people, had been caused by him.

"No need for such hostility. After all, we are all prisoners here. Even a mighty Avenger such as yourself." The smirk on Loki's face was infuriating.

"And prisoners are not to speak with each other." A guard barked. Corinne was allowed a moment of relief from the mischievous demigod.

_As I was saying, what did you do to be imprisoned here?_ The very same voice invaded her mind. It was just like when the Avengers sent him off.

_Nothing._ She thought back, trying to not let any other thoughts surface.

Loki was still maintaining eye contact with her. Piercing green and deep brown clashed. _Have they discovered what you really are?_

She couldn't help but have the word Odin had uttered come to mind. _Álfheimir._

_Light elf._ Loki looked like a cat who just caught the canary. _Just as I thought. One of Álfhem who trespassed Midgard. Oh, I would have loved to see Odin's reaction._

Corinne leaned forward. _What are light elves? Where do they come from? Do they have force field powers?_

The trickster arched an eyebrow at the onslaught of questions that erupted from her thoughts. _Now, information doesn't come freely._

_What do you want._ She regarded the glint in his eyes cautiously.

Loki shrugged nonchalantly, not breaking eye contact as he took a foreign fruit from his meal platter. He took a bite out of it with a crunch. _A favour._

_You've got to be more specific with that. Making an ambiguous deal with the god of lies and tricks isn't exactly appealing._

_You are brighter than most._

_Thanks._ If sarcastic telepathy was possible, she just did it. _What do you specifically want?_

_I want your agreement to lend me your powers when I require them._

_Why would you need mine? I thought you could do magic._

_I have heard of your protective material. I simply need a piece for my armour. What do you say?_

_How did you know?_ Her protective material had hardly been known to everyone.

_It's not hard to speculate since you are a light elf._

_And why is that?_

His smirk grew even wider. He was enjoying this. His eyes trailed over her with amusement, as if reconsidering her as a person. _Nice try. Do we have an agreement?_

She wouldn't have another opportunity like this. Odin did not seem willing to part with any information. Thor was who knows where.

_Yes, if you also tell me the cure for the Chitauri blasts._ A deal with the devil.

Loki nodded, finally breaking eye contact. _Knowing the All-Father, he has already sent the cure to Midgard. He is angry with your existence, not the whole of Midgard._ He sauntered over to his bed and lounged. _What would you like to know about yourself?_

Corinne took in the prediction with a grain of salt. She moved on. There wouldn't be another opportunity like this if she wasn't welcomed by the Allfather. _Everything. Why can I do all this?_

_You are of Álfheim. Like dark elves, light elves are able to produce magic, like myself, and they favour it. You may have specialized in these defensive barriers. You are lucky you are a light elf, as dark elves..._ He crinkled his nose, _Their magic is crude, and what you Midgardians would call evil._

_Can I do other sorts of magic?_

_That would depend on your own will._

Her heart raced at the flow of information she was finally getting. _I am from Earth. My family is human. How would I be a light elf? My ears are not at all pointy._

_That is something even I am unsure of._ Something about his air gave her a sense of disbelief.

_What else-_

Just then a crackling explosion was heard. An inmate that was burning red had dissipated the walls of his cell with his bare fists. An alarm blared throughout the dungeons. Corinne backed away, wanting to pull her shields up, but she couldn't due to the cell's anti-magic properties. She sent a panicked look at Loki, to which he returned with a calm one.

_That is what used to be a dark elf. They're not exactly friendly towards your kind._

_Great._

He wreaked havoc, releasing prisoners left and right with his brute strength. Loki and Corinne watched on as he headed towards their cells. The dark elf regarded Loki for a long minute, and decided to leave him. When he turned to Corinne, his demeanor changed.

The dark elf's shoulders hunched and he spat venomously at her. "Álfhemir." He raised his hands to free her to him. Murderous intent came off from him despite his helmet.

Something, a hunk of rock, fell from the ceiling to just in front of the elf. It temporarily blocked him from reaching the wall. Corinne looked back at Loki to see him wink at her.

_I do not owe you another favour for that one._ She thought bluntly. _I thought you couldn't do magic in this?_

_No need to worry. That was to ensure you would live and hold up on your end of the deal._ Loki inspected the boulder. _And, Odin underestimates my limits._

Why didn't he just break out?

She quickly shut down that thought before he caught it.

Loki grinned at her, but spoke to the giant creature. "You might want to take the stairs to the left."

The creature gave one last look at Loki and Corinne, before taking the left stairs.

By now reinforcements had arrived, and Corinne saw her fellow Avenger with his other warriors. With almost casual efficiency, Thor and his friends put an end to the mess. He startled when he saw her.

"Lady Corinne?" His face scrunched up in puzzlement.

She waved. "Long story."

One of his friends, the one with the large beard, spoke with great urgency. "Thor, we must go defend the rest of the palace. The Queen and your Lady-"

"Yes," Thor sent an apologetic glance her way, "I shall be back."

Corinne nodded, not perturbed at all. She still had more to ask Loki, and if the people were being cured back on Earth on the orders of Odin, there was no rush.

She put her attention back on the demigod across from her. _What else is there that you're not telling me?_

_Ask the right question, and I will answer._

_And your answer will probably be vague, yeah?_

_Perhaps._

Corinne sat down on the cell floor. _Well, we've got tons of time.  
_

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Asgard! I hope everyone's ok with this development? I try not to do that whole thing where I repeat a whole movie, but not be completely off from it. Corinne's got to have her own story. Avengers gotta do their own thing. Hope it worked out.
> 
> How was that Age of Ultron? I thought it was pretty good, except for a couple of things.
> 
> Somebody suggested a superhero name for Corinne last chapter. Does anyone else have any suggestions?
> 
> Let me know what you think, please! :) It would brighten up my exam filled school life
> 
> 05.09.15.
> 
> EDIT 05.01.16. : TIFFANY has been changed to BONNIE.


	7. Chapter 7

**I took some of your suggestions in for this chapter :) Reviews help a lot, so thank you!**

**Special shout out to everyone who gave me such awesome feedback!**

* * *

Darcy was frustrated.

"Hello?"

"Hi, uh, I'm looking for Corinne Lin? I usually call her once in a while and she hasn't been answering. She told me she'd be with Dr. Foster and Darcy Lewis?…"

"That's me. Sorry, man. I dunno where she is."

The intern already had enough to worry about. Jane was off on Asgard, and Erik was who knows where. She wasn't getting any calls back from them, and she just didn't know what to do.

Instead, she was getting calls from people she didn't know asking about Corinne. She had squealed a bit when Steve Rogers himself and then Tony Stark had called. Her excitement dwindled as she honestly had no idea where Corinne had gone off to. The urgency in their voices wasn't quelling her own worries about Corinne either.

As if on cue, her phone rang. Hope flared until she saw the unknown number. Probably SHIELD again.

"Hello." She answered flatly. "Corinne Lin is not here."

A composed voice answered without pause. "Yes, I am aware. However, we believe that Miss Lin might have followed Dr. Jane Foster. Where is she?"

"Space." Darcy ended the call. Was it dangerous to tell them? Only if they had the means to get to space.

On the other end of the line, the caller frowned. "It appears you are right in thinking Corinne Lin is on another realm."

"And she has to come back." A melodic voice answered. "And when she does, you'll have to be ready."

* * *

_So, light elves._   _Judging from their name, they must be…good?_  Corinne asked carefully, gaging Loki's reaction.

_They are relatively peaceful._  Loki still had that look in his eye. It told her that he had something, but it didn't quite give anything away.

Corinne furrowed her brows.  _Can I visit them and come out alive?_

_If you find the right ones._

As she expected, he was not quite willing to be helpful. The demigod was mysterious. There was an allure to his deviousness, but also an underlying glint of darkness. Something happened in those years he fell off the Bifrost and the Battle of New York. Something that caused a change that both fascinated her and terrified her.

Loki, too, was giving her a look over. That petulant grin was still plastered on his face, and it grew even more wider as he assessed her. Corinne stood her ground, not breaking eye contact.

_Is there something going on in Álfheim?_  She rose up from her sitting position, giving her a sense of confidence.

Loki lounged on his bed, but still maintained a feeling of power somehow. His gaze sparked and she knew she had asked the right question.  _Oh nothing, just a war._

Her heart thundered in her chest.

An armoured guard approached his cell. He muttered something to Loki, and the effect was instantaneous. The rage that had been lurking underneath erupted in his expression and Corinne wished she could form a shield.

As soon as the guard turned, bursts of magic exploded in Loki's cell. Tables were flipped over, books knocked over, and the area around him pulsed with his furious energy. He let out a grief filled scream.

"They will pay," He growled, "Odin, Thor…" His voice had quieted, but the dangerous quality had not lessened.

Corinne stayed still, knowing better than to interrupt this vehemence lest it turn on her. But the green eyes landed on her.

_Would you like to make another deal?_ He came forward so that his face was nearly touching the energy field.

_The terms?_ She wasn't eager to make another bargain, but with his emotional state, it seemed like he was about to offer something he wouldn't have otherwise.

_An alliance between us._  Loki put a hand on the golden wall. Sparks and ripples were created on the surface.  _In exchange for training in magic._  At Corinne's mess of thoughts, he continued.  _Light elves are known for their prowess in magic. I will help you nurture that talent in your veins. I highly doubt you would find another instructor soon, unless you go to war filled Álfheim._

That was true. If Odin wouldn't allow her on Asgard, she doubted she would be allowed access to Álfheim. Even if she got there she would have no clue which side to go to.

However, an alliance with Loki would go against everything she stood for. She was an  _Avenger_ , she couldn't be Loki's student.

She had seen the effects Loki has had on earth. The people he's killed, the city he's destroyed, and the people that he's controlled. Clint, one of her best friends now, still had night terrors about it. She should feel disgusted at Loki.

Did she need more knowledge in magic? She could help a lot more instead of just shielding people. Her brain was still trying to understand this whole magic thing. Loki had explained to her that magic was an advanced form of what humans considered science. It didn't make it any less bizarre.

_I need to think about this._

Loki nodded, turning away with an assurance like she already took the deal.  _Take your time.  
_

* * *

A day or two after Loki got the bad news, a face Corinne could trust showed up.

She knew before he actually arrived. Loki had suddenly arranged his room to normal, and stood with a more tidy appearance. It was instant, so she assumed it was an illusion.

"Lady Corinne," Thor's voice was a welcome sound, "I apologize for your current predicament. The Allfather is adamant on your imprisonment."

"This could have been worse." Corinne replied, her warm smile matching his. "Did Odin tell you I'm an alien too?"

Thor studied her face. "Yes, he tells me you are of Álfheimir descent. Odd, as when I first saw you I believed you were Midgardian."

"Not surprising for you to make such a mistake, Thor." Loki chimed in.

Thor spared him a glance before speaking to Corinne again. "I will return you to Midgard if you wish. Álfheim too, but it would be best if you wait until..."

"The war ends? From what I heard, yeah, I don't really want to go to Álfheim. Wouldn't letting me out be disobeying your father?"

"That is what I am here for." He looked at Loki.

The trickster grinned devilishly. "Thor. After all this time, and now you come to visit me."

* * *

"I do not understand why you want to help us."

"She is of a…complicated descent. But it does not matter."

"Isn't she your kind?

"Yes, but not all of us agree with one another, you see. My people would like to see her contained."

"My organization agrees  _wholeheartedly_. It would be difficult, however, due to her advancing abilities."

"No shield is unbreakable."

* * *

From what Corinne gathered from the former brothers' conversation, their mother had passed away. Her gaze softened in understanding. That explained the uncontrollable anguish that had taken over Loki for the past few days. Influenced by the same anguish, Loki had agreed to cooperate with Thor to  _avenge_  Frigga.

Ironic.

Somehow, Thor disabled the cells, and she stepped out to freedom. She looked back at the cell one last time, and knew she wouldn't miss it. As she made her move to follow Thor to the exit, a hand barred her from doing so. She looked up to see the green eyes she had grown too accustomed to.

"Our deal?" He said, breath hitting her neck with the close proximity.

Corinne narrowed her eyes. Her fingers twisted in intricate motions, and a single shard of her energy was conjured. She willed it to drop to her open palm, and held it out to Loki.

Loki grasped the golden glass immediately, not caring if his fingers brushed against hers. He held the piece up to the light almost in admiration. The corners of his lips curled. "I am  _so_  very grateful that you trust me with this shard of yourself," he purred, "I will take good care of it."

"Good," Corinne replied back in the same way, "it's the only piece you'll ever get."

Loki put on a mock hurt expression. "You wound me, truly. Have you made your mind on the other proposal?"

"No." She went to Thor's side.

Their exchange was not unnoticed by Thor and he gave her a look of concern. "I hope you are not foolish enough to trust Loki."

"I am offended!" Loki declared not far behind them.

"I won't do it unless I have to."

He nodded. "I trust in your judgement, though I hope it will never come to that."

Corinne's attention flickered to Loki, where he was smiling innocently. "I hope so too."

Thor's expression remained serious. "I do not want to ask this of you so soon, but would you aid me against Malekith? It will be dangerous."

"Of course." Corinne replied with no hesitation. "You didn't even need to ask, seriously. It'll be like New York. Thor, we're friends." He had been friendly right at the start to her at the Shawarma place, and they both trusted each other.

His usual grin occupied his face again. "A thousand thanks, then. I am lucky to have you as a friend."

"Avengers have each other's backs." She patted his arm. "Come on, lead the way."

They moved through the hallways quietly afterwards, or just as quietly they could with the demigods arguing with each other. She watched in annoyance but also interest as Loki transformed himself into different people.

Her lips pursed as he took on the form of her friend Steve.

_You could do this too._  Again, the god of lies' voice invaded her mind. Loki-Steve spread his arms and raised his eyebrows.  _If you accept the deal._

_Illusions?_

_Do not underestimate the power of them._

With a shimmer, Loki disappeared to be replaced by Corinne, but with visible differences. The mirror image had an ethereal glow, and was dressed in layers of robes similar to what she had seen other Asgardian women wear before she was jailed. This Corinne had myriad of twisted metal and flowers intertwined into her dark locks, and smiled coyly. Her ears were slightly pointed.

Her mouth felt dry. "Loki." She said sharply at the same time Thor did.

Loki-Corinne shrugged and turned back into regular Loki. "Just a bit of fun."

Thor and Loki fought again and she took that time to compose herself. That illusion was no doubt what she would have looked like as a light elf. But it made no sense. If she really was a light elf, why didn't she look like that?

Eventually, they met up with Jane and a woman clad in metal. Corinne went to hug Jane but found she was still repelled by the red force Aether.

"Why is it doing that? I thought it only stopped threats?" Jane said worryingly.

The warrior beside her that Corinne would later know as Sif regarded Corinne. "No, it seems that the rumors are true. She is a light elf. The magic of the dark elves would naturally clash with the light elves'. But that will have to be discussed later, looks like we have company." The swift warrior got into a defensive pose. "I'll hold them off."

The guards were coming towards them steadily. Thor spoke to Sif gratefully. "Thank you."

Corinne nodded to Sif, and left with the others.

* * *

"Your Highness, we need to retrieve her before the others."

"They wouldn't. And as much as I'd like to, we cannot let anyone go to her right now. Too much is going on."

"One of our own was on Asgard, and she believes she is being held in prison. Word has been she is allies with Thor. It's possible she might have discovered her origins."

"There's nothing we can do, then. She will have to manage on her own."

* * *

Corinne stayed as close to Jane as she could. The Aether allowed them to be close, but not to the point of contact. She stayed protectively by Jane as Thor and Loki quarrelled. Subconsciously, Corinne had maintained a dome shield over them ever since Loki went for the small gap in the cave. Her scientist friend laid in a tired heap on the skiff's floor, and Corinne really did wish she could do more right now.

"The plan…do you think it'll work?" Corinne murmured in the lapse between their jabs at each other. Thor had explained it in detail, and while it seemed perfect, things could still go wrong.

"It will have to." Thor responded, looking fondly at Jane. Corinne let down her shield, and Thor reached out to put a blanket over her.

Corinne left the back of the skiff to where Loki was at the front.  _And you?_  She projected her thoughts. She paused, surprised at how used to talking to him in this way she was.

Loki's mouth quirked in a small smile.  _You're improving in this._

_Thanks._  Was it just her or did she sense a hint of pride there?  _So?_

_Whether the plan works or not, it is ultimately none of my concern. I will follow through on my end, but do you trust me to do so?_

_I do._  At the smallest widening of his eyes, she continued.  _Not you as a whole, no, I'm not stupid. I trust in your anger towards Frigga's death. Even if you don't care about what happens to us, you still want to kick Malekith's ass._

_Interesting perspective._  She was just  _so_  amusing to him.  _Such a pity you are not accepting my deal._

Suddenly, Jane pushed herself up and stared out into the distance. A ship was descending from the clouds. Her eyes turned a brilliant blue as she whispered. "Malekith."

The flying skiff they had escaped Asgard in settled on the bare landscape of Svartalfheim. Their shoes crunched on the gravel as they approached Malekith.

The dark elves had, of course, pointed ears. Most of them wore masks that reminded Corinne of a bare skull. She spotted the unruly prisoner Kurse from before too. However, the dark elf at the front had no mask on. He was pale almost to the point of death, and his face was charred on one side.

Even with the distance between them, Corinne felt some deep instinct telling her to get away from the dark elf. She pushed it back, focusing on her objective. Protect Jane.

The plan was set into motion as Thor unlocked Loki's handcuffs. Jane screamed as Loki stabbed then chopped off Thor's hand. Jane skid down the hill. Corinne immediately followed, materializing a shield in front of Jane in case something interrupted.

_Drop the shield._  Loki's eyes commanded her.

Her mouth twisted but she let it down. Loki swung out his arm and a harmless flare of green crashed into Corinne. She went with it, fell to the hard ground, and stayed there. Corinne winced as Thor hissed in pain beside her.

"Corinne, no!" Jane struggled in Loki's grip.

Loki gestured to Jane. "Malekith! I am Loki of Jotunheim, and I bring you a gift!" Jane was thrown in front of Malekith. "I ask you only one thing in return. A seat in which to watch Asgard burn."

Malekith and Loki assessed each other while Kurse snarled something to Malekith. Malekith glanced at her and Thor on the ground.

"And the light elf?" Malekith stares at her with no expression, which was surprisingly scarier than an angry one. Something passed through his eyes. Realization? Recognition? " _Borghild._  You are alive? Why are you in this form?" He hissed.

_Borghild?_

Corinne leaned forward. "Do you know m-"

"You may deal with her as you wish." Loki interrupted. Corinne glared at his smugness.

_I stopped you from digging your own grave._  Loki's voice resonated in her head.

Malekith looked back at Jane, then turned Thor over with his foot. "Look."

Corinne could only watch as Jane was levitated by Malekith. The red Aether was extracted from her in streams. Corinne urgently looked at Thor. The god of thunder nodded.

"Loki! Now!" He shouted.

Thor's hand appeared again with sparks of green, and Mjolnir flew back into his open palm. Corinne threw herself over Jane right away, and felt Loki climb over her too. She formed a shield just as Thor's lightning attacked the Aether in the air.

The atmosphere shook with an explosion, and hard material rained on her shield. The Aether had hardened into shards not unlike her own.

"Is everyone okay?" Corinne murmured. Jane nodded, mesmerized. Loki, on top of her by the feel of his armour, didn't reply. He was fine.

The ruby like shards had fallen onto the ground, but they started to float midair. To their dread, they came together and became fluid once again.

"No..." Jane whispered as the Aether flowed into Malekith.

Whatever dread Corinne had been feeling tripled as Malekith's eyes turned pitch black with the Aether in him.

Thor, Loki and Corinne try to stop Malekith from boarding his ship. Corinne solidifies her energy into disks and propel several to imbed into the ship's metal exterior. A couple are hurled towards Malekith. One of them avoids his blocking, and strikes him in his shoulder.

Malekith's reaction to her light elf magic is the same as when she tried to touch Jane. Golden and scarlet energy conflict in a blinding flare, each colour fighting to overcome the other. Neither wins nor loses. Malekith glares icily at her before succeeding in getting on his ship.

Corinne then gets drawn into the ongoing fight. While Thor is battling it out with Kurse, Loki is artfully manoeuvring himself through the flow of the combat with the dark elves. She thinks for a moment before running to Jane and throwing shields at Loki's opponents.

"We need to get the Aether now." Jane's hand clenches around Corinne's wrist. Corinne puts up a defense while Jane speaks. A good decision too, as a dark elf smacks right into it almost immediately. The brunette's voice shakes. "I saw-"

An outburst of anguish is heard, and the women turn just in time to witness a sword thrust through Loki. Corinne leaves the bubble of protection but keeps Jane in it as she runs over to the demigods.

"No, no, no…" Thor says as he gathers Loki in his arms.

Corinne lands on her knees next to them. Loki is quickly paling and the panic rises. At this moment, she forgets everything he's done. The only thought running through her head is someone is  _dying_. Loki is dying.

She holds Loki's face, staring at his dazed eyes. Her thoughts are like shouts.  _Loki. Tell me what to do. How do I heal people?_

_Are you accepting the deal now?_  He grins weakly.

_Just tell me what to do._

He stops shaking, a serene look coming over him. His skin becomes grey.  _It's too late, Borghild_.

"It's alright," Thor murmurs, "I'll tell Father what you did here today."

"I didn't do it for him." Loki looks at Thor, then Corinne. He gives his last mischievous grin, and his whole body slacks.

Thor screams at the sky while Corinne looks sadly at Loki. Her eyes burn but she takes a deep breath. "You could have had a second chance."

They leave not long afterwards, entering a cave. Everyone was ready to make Malekith pay.

* * *

"Several disturbances have occurred by an university in London. Witnesses and footage confirm that Thor, the so called Avenger also involved with the Battle of New York, was there fighting against another extraterrestrial being. The university and several different locations have been damaged. Let's head to the site. Lily?"

"Hi I'm at the site of the university right now. As you can see, parts of the building has collapsed. Witnesses say it was due to a large aircraft. Dr. Eric Selvig and Dr. Jane Foster have also been seen at the scene. Three unidentified supporters were also there. They were seen placing poles of some sort. It may have been related to yet another alien invasion. Lily Jameson, Bugle News."

"Thank you, Lily. They have not made a statement yet, but it seems that whatever it was, Earth has been saved once again."

* * *

The vast rocky landscape was empty except for a single figure lying down.

The man, with long black hair, sat up. His hands patted at his green and gold clothes. A sharp blade stuck out of his black, but he was undaunted by it. With a wave of his hand, the sword illusion diminished in green dust. His fingers felt at his abdomen, and his coat opened to reveal his inner armor.

He yanked out a golden piece of glass with a satisfied smirk.

He seemed to consider it for a moment before dropping it into one of his pouches. Light swathed the man and he was replaced by a heavily armored guard.

"Time to take my rightful place." Loki muttered to himself.

* * *

**Thanks for reading! A couple of you enjoyed Loki-Corinne interactions, so here you go! I tried not to repeat the whole movie, but enough so people will understand what happened in Thor 2.**

**Love your comments, keep them coming please :)**

**05.27.15.**


	8. Chapter 8

**We're going into Captain America 2 now!**

**My headcanon is that Iron Man 3 and Thor 2 happened around the same time, which was why Avengers couldn't help each other out.**

* * *

"Hello?" The voice was uncertain, hesitant.

"Hi, it's Corinne."

"Cor-Oh my god. Corinne."

"That's my name."

"Where have you been? Are you okay? You are in so much trouble."

Corinne smiled sheepishly. "I know, I know. Sorry."

"We were starting to panic. Tony tracked your phone and got weird coordinates. We didn't know until we saw you in the news with Thor."

"Yeah, the coordinates were probably from Asgard. Apparently I was a criminal and…it's complicated." She liked to think her voice didn't quiver at the end.

The person on the other side breathed deeply, and the frustration disappeared from their tone. "You're the last person I know who could be a criminal."

She laughed. "Thanks, but seriously, wait until you hear about everything. I'm about to board the plane back to the Tower. Think I'll be taking a bit of a break." The airport waiting area was a stark contrast to the surroundings of the past few days.

"Space trip too much for you?"

"Just a bit."

"I'll see you soon, then." A pause. "Don't go off fighting aliens again. Not without me, anyway."

"I'll let you know if there are any." Her grin was as apparent in her voice as the other caller's. Oh the irony.

Wasn't she one herself?

With a sigh, she slipped her phone into her bag. That was the last of the many phonecalls she had to make to explain everything. As tedious as it was, she was really lucky to have such caring friends. If someone had swapped places with her, she would react the same way, if not stronger. Hearing the voice of someome from her somewhat normal life was therapeutic.

She needed it.

Everything that remotely calmed her, she needed it. Her side trip let her see Thor, but also revealed more information than she knew what to deal with. No matter how many times she picked apart every tidbit, she still didn't understand how.

All her life she wanted to know why she could do what she could do. Now she did, but could not think of a way how this could have happened. Thor had been just as clueless as she was to her heritage.

The only person who showed a hint of knowing was gone. Her fingers squeezed her steaming foam cup at the memory, nails making imprints on the white Styrofoam.

_"I have seen the looks shared between you two." Thor said without warning during their small celebration of saving yet another day. Jane, Darcy, Erik, and Ian were in their merry making some distance away, and Thor and Corinne had incidentally been at the kitchen at the same time._

_"Who?" Corinne watched in amusement as Darcy started singing happily._

_"Loki." Thor took a gulp of his drink. This was what, his fifth drink? He wasn't even buzzed._

_"It's not-" Was there a point in arguing when the god was dead anyway? "We communicated via thoughts…Anyway, he's gone." She downed the entirety of her own cup._

_The blond sent her a doubtful glance, but opted not to say more._

_"Could you say thanks to Odin for me when you get back?"_

_"Of course." Thor's brow creased. "What for?"_

_"He followed through just like…what Loki had predicted." It was one of her first orders of business when she got back-checking on the experiment victims. "They were cured by Asgard's healers. Something about drawing out built up energy."_

_"Ah, yes. I am glad they are not poisoned by the Chitauri energy any longer." He nodded to himself. "I give you my word that I will relay it to Odin."_

"Passengers of flight 0417, please begin lining up at the gateway."

Corinne stood up and headed to the end of the line, luggage wheels rolling behind her. As she waited for her turn for her passport to be checked, she glanced at one of the television screens. Reporters were discussing what had happened in Greenwich. At the bottom of the screen, other news rolled by.

One of them caught her attention. 'At two, Tony Stark will be holding a press conference answering questions about the capture of the president, and the Mandarin.'

It had been a surprise to her how much had happened while she was on Asgard. Time in Asgard passed slower than on Earth. It was like a small version of what Steve experienced each day. She had to catch up on everything that had occurred. Immediately after learning what happened to Tony, she gave him a call. He assured her he was fine, though Bruce, who had gotten hold of the phone, said otherwise.

Now she was heading back to the tower on an excused leave from university thanks to SHIELD.

Some time with the Avengers, her friends, would do her some good. She cheered up a bit at the thought. Bruce was back from Calcutta, and Thor was back too. Sure, not everybody was back at the tower constantly, but it was still something.

She settled into her plushy seat on the plane. Paid for, by SHIELD again. SHIELD was determined to keep on doing her favours these days, and was probably doing this to push her to joining them.

After it took flight, she opened up her notebook of research and began reviewing it. She made new notes on possible experiments and was so into it she jolted when she was interrupted.

"Excuse me, would you like a drink?" The flight attendant smiled, politely ignoring her obvious startle.

"Yes, uh, just water please." She accepted the glass with her own smile. "Thank you."

The flight attendant nodded, and continued on her way. Corinne finished the glass as something to do and flipped through the channels on her own screen. She could really get like Jane sometimes, so she forced herself to take a break. Most of the channels were showing movies, but she had no interest in them. Her eyes drooped with sleepiness, which was understandable as most of her fellow passengers were taking a nap.

She almost dropped her cup when she spotted Steve on the news. It wasn't one of those documentaries either. Hurriedly turning up the volume, she took in every word of the reporter.

"Steve Rogers was seen falling from a government building's window today. Eye witnesses say he was in full uniform and landed on his shield. We have been asked to urge anyone who has seen him to report it. It does beg the question, however, is Captain America a fugitive?"

"What did you do, Steve?" Corinne whispered, eyes wide and taking in every detail of the CCTV footage. Was he okay? That was probably a SHIELD building, but why would he do that? She reached for her phone as an instinct, but found that her arm was too heavy to lift.

"Can I help you? More water, maybe?" The same flight attendant looked at her worryingly. She was already pouring another glass. "Miss Lin, you are looking a bit nauseous."

"How long until…we land?" Corinne's words sounded like they were a mile away. "I need to get off this-wait." She barely registered her own shock in her muddled mind. Why was it muddled? "How do you know my name?"

"Seats are assigned, and as a first class passenger, you deserve the best service. We pride ourselves in personally helping each passenger. Here you go, Miss Lin." She held the cup up to Corinne's mouth because Corinne's hands were shaking. From adrenaline?

Corinne shrunk back and closed her mouth firmly. Her numb hands struggled to unbuckle her seat belt. There was a huge feeling in her gut that something was very wrong. She made a force field between her and the flight attendant.

The flight attendant retreated and yelled. Not in surprise of her shield either. "She knows!"

The passengers that were awake stood up and bombarded her. How could she had not noticed? Almost everyone had been asleep on her flight!

She strengthened her shield and continued grasping at her seat belt with her unresponsive hands. The people who were awake were each pulling out a tuning fork shaped devices. This was bad.

Half a dozen of the undercover goons dug into her shield with the devices. An electrifying current ran through and struck her energy bubble. That was going to be a painful aftershock later.

If there was a later.

They unloaded currents and currents of energy into her energy shield and she felt it weaken and weaken. It felt so wrong. It was like layers of her was being torn away.

Her own mind strained to stay awake. The discovery of Steve's situation and her own was the only thing keeping her conscious. Her body felt paralysed. Already, whatever they had put into her water was numbing her up to her neck.

Popping sounded in her ears that alerted her that the plane had landed. There was hope. She just had to get out of this plane.

As they were charging up the devices, she let down her shield. They didn't know and fell forward at the lack of resistance. Using as little energy as possible, Corinne formed her solid disks and knocked them away from falling on her. They made sure the goons stayed down while she sharpened them to slice her seat belt apart.

A force field lifted her up towards the door where disks were already hacking at it. The door crashed down and she flew out.

To an army of soldiers aiming the prongs at her from every angle.

A quick look behind them and Corinne could tell she was definitely not in New York. There were mountains in the distance and the general region was an icy one.

She could fly out of here. She would get to Steve, give him back up. Stay alive. But before she could even move a muscle, a shock was run through her.

Her unconscious body dropped to the plane's floor as her floating field diminished. The armed people were quick to stab and inject a liquid into her, and then restraining her.

A stout man clambered out of a car behind the small army. His men saluted to him respectfully.

"She has been contained." One of them reported.

He adjusted his glasses with a pleased nod. "The timing could not have been better."

* * *

_"Get up." Agent Rumlow's voice echoed through the gym._

_Corinne huffed on the mats, sweat beaded on her forehead. Steve stood on the side as Rumlow ordered him, but he was tense. It was clear he was not a big fan of Rumlow's teaching methods. He wanted to help his friend up._

_One of Rumlow's favourite ways to train her was to go one on one with her. No holding back, just making her learn on the spot. Continuously. No stopping. It wasn't effective except in furthering her hate for him._

_"Get. Up."_

_"Rumlow, she's-"_

_"I don't give a damn. Get up, Lin."_

_Steve's body was coiled tight, and Corinne could see he was ready to spring into action. The last time he interfered, Rumlow was extra hard on her the next day._

_She shook her head at Steve, and pushed herself up._

_Rumlow smirked. As soon as she shuffled into position, he began his tirade of attacks. Corinne blocked more than she could count, but was taken down to the ground._

_"Get up." Rumlow's smile was mockingly encouraging. "Please."_

_Steve was practically shaking to stop himself. Corinne cast him a look. I'll be fine. Rumlow's just an ass._

_Shields don't break down so easily._

"Get up."

Corinne came to with a throbbing in her head. She cringed at the brightness of everything. Why didn't she pull down her blinds last night?

The gruff voice from before spoke up again. "Get up." She felt a cool press of something in her back-metal?

With her eyes fully opened, she found that she was in a room that had no windows. The light surrounding her was completely artificial. The person who was talking was a heavily armed man, metal tuning fork in hand. She could hear the thrum of energy in the prongs.

Not wanting to get shocked again, she hefted herself up. Slowly, no sudden movements so that the man wouldn't have any reason to shock her. She stood up shakily, and stared at the man for further instruction.

Her mind was slow; muddy. Any thoughts that she formed took a lot of effort to continue. Her limbs still felt lethargic.

"Go out that door. I will be watching." He positioned himself behind her, still having that device at ready. She remembered the discomfort of its shock, and obeyed. The tuning fork gave her more fear than the abundance of weapons on the man. The door he was referring to opened up in the chrome walls

_I have no other choice._ She willed her feet to take one step after the other. She entered a hallway with no windows again. The walls were also modern and chrome. It was no old warehouse she was being held in.

From the rigged flight, the water, the electrocuting devices…this was a very calculated abduction.

_Quick, Corinne. Think of what you learned to do in this situation at SHIELD training. First, stay calm._ Her breaths came out shakily, and her hands trembled with her revelation. _Collect information. Get out._

More escorts were waiting for her in the hallway. They lead her through twists and turns. She took in the details of their route.

_Left, left, right, left, elevator, right, fire extinguisher, metal door._

They came to a stop at the door. It slid apart with a swoosh and what greeted her made her gape. The same stout man was waiting for her, along with Bonnie.

"Bonnie?" Corinne scrunched her face up. Was she asleep? She was so tired. "Is this SHIELD? Why-"

"Take a seat, Ms. Lin." The man nodded at the chair across from them. An escort nudged her towards it, causing her to stumble into it. Her legs were still too unsteady. He watched her closely, but in a way that sent shivers throughout her whole body. "I am Dr. List."

"And you know who I am," said Bonnie.

_Keep it short. Save your energy._

"What do you want?" She folded her hands together to hide how they shook.

"Some simple answers, and a little cooperation."

_I've tangoed with enough Norse gods to recognize vague answers that mean no good._ Corinne kept her mouth shut, just glaring.

Bonnie, pristine and immaculate Bonnie, smiled gently. "Well then, let's begin." She reached behind her and took out a fluorescent journal. A breath lodged in Corinne's throat. Bonnie picked up on her minuscule reaction, and cooed. "Don't worry, Corinne. We haven't been able to get anything from this yet. We need your help after all."

It wasn't exactly a question, but it might as well be one. Corinne remained defiant. That was pretty much her life's work. The pages of her journal were in a code she made herself, uncrackable by anyone but her. She even got Tony to try it. He couldn't figure out the sentiment inspired.

"So, what does the first page say? Take your time, do you want some water? You must be thirsty by now." Bonnie waved at a guard for some water.

Water. Corinne tensed at that word, but stayed wordless. They weren't getting anything out of her. As discreetly as possible, she checked her powers. The shield she wanted to make did not come into being. She tried again, straining her mind.

Nothing.

A machine beeped loudly on the side, making her already skittish self jump. Dr. List gave her a condescending look. "Ms. Lin, we would appreciate it if you didn't try that again. Your energy waves are disrupted here, so there is no point." He nodded to someone behind her, and she immediately felt the terrible sensation of the device. "And also that."

"Did Fury order this?" She bit out. Her exhausted form slumped in the chair.

"He is dead."

_What? Someone like him is dead?_

"We suspect your other Avengers are as well, too. Something is happening so that many are being killed. You are lucky to have had us save you."

_Something is happening? Oh._

The news report on the plane. Steve, falling out from a building. Is he okay? Are the others okay?

She scrutinized Dr. List but saw no lies.

_Oh god, everything was real._ Her chest felt tight. Her breathing got even more shallow, throat uncomfortably constricted.

If everyone was dead, or busy fighting for their lives for whatever it was, her possible rescue date is going to be much later. Or nonexistent.

She had to rely on herself to survive and get out of here.

"We want to save more people with the use of your force fields." Bonnie intoned softly.

Corinne felt like believing her, but then remembered her constant fatigue. The fear she felt for her friends turned into fury. "Is that why I'm being drugged, basically tasered with a weird thing, and kept like a prisoner?"

"Corinne-"

"I will not work with you. SHIELD or not. I don't know what it is, but something's wrong. If you are right and good, then why are you afraid I will attack you? You want my research? Pry it from my lifeless hands." Each word was spat out, and at the end, she felt like all her energy was drained. But she got on her feet quickly, going eye to eye with Dr. List. The escorts instantly stabbed her with the tuning fork.

She bit her lip, muted scream barely contained inside. Dr. List opened his mouth to say something, but shut it again. He let himself have a deep breath, and smiled.

"Bring her along to the chair." He trotted over to said chair. It was more of a metal death trap then a chair, Corinne bemused. She wouldn't be so amused soon, with the look in the doctor's eye.

They strapped her in, and Dr. List fiddled with the controls. Bonnie was beside him, looking stoic instead of her standard courteous expression.

"Last chance." She said. Her eyes shone with outright pity.

Corinne clenched her jaw and squeezed her eyes shut.

If these people were bad, which was most likely from her point of view, then them having her force fields will make them undefeatable.

Whatever the other Avengers were facing out there, she had to have them win. And that meant not giving impenetrable defense to the enemy.

Even if it was at the expense of herself.

Dr. List sighed. "Stupid girl."

She wouldn't be able to know, but even the security winced at the agonizing screams that dragged on the rest of the night.

* * *

"Even with her research, it might not have been possible to create them. We might as well have her make them." Dr. List thoughtfully regarded the unconscious Corinne in her cell on the screen. What they did to her had taken too much out of her.

"The Asset is out of our control now, so she would be a suitable replacement." Bonnie agreed. "With the right conditioning, the Avengers won't have their shield anymore."

"Project Insight may fail." He glanced at the update. Pierce was not so flawless after all, it seemed. "But we still have her." The scientist held out a glass to Bonnie, and she clinked hers to his.

"Hail Hydra."

"Hail Hydra."

* * *

**Thank you for everything :)**

**So, is Corinne going to be okay? Is she getting out by herself, or with the help of someone else? Who would it be?**

**Some people are shipping her with Loki, some Bruce. Who do you ship her with? I try to keep it a non-romance, but hey, if it works, why not?**

**06.06.15.**


	9. Chapter 9

"Hello, Captain."

Steve nodded to a former SHIELD agent. Even though he wasn't officially a captain, people insisted on calling him one out of respect. Or humorously, like Natasha.

They have been following Bucky's trail. The former Winter Soldier kept most of his activity under the radar. Whatever they detected, it was usually him destroying Hydra facilities.

Former SHIELD agents have been helping Steve. They now operated from Stark Industries, with Maria Hill at the head. It was just as efficient as before.

It filled Steve with a sense of hope that Bucky was taking down HYDRA. Maybe he was redeeming himself, and would face Steve again afterwards. Even if he still wasn't quite the same, Steve would still accept him.

This recent attack was a massacre. Steve arrived to investigate, along with Natasha. She had returned after staying in the dark from the media and tying some loose ends.

This Hydra base was fairly new and large. It seemed to have served as a research facility. While the SHIELD turned Stark employees pilfered through other branches of the base, they searched the main rooms.

"Steve."

The super soldier turned quickly at the spy's sharp tone. Natasha was holding a dismantled smart phone with a grim expression. His eyes scanned it, and he noticed the stickers that made it unique. It was devastatingly familiar.

The dawning realization made him clench his fists. His heartbeat pounded loudly in his ears. His body was taut with tension. "Corinne."

"Hydra left in a hurry." Natasha booted up a computer. "Probably didn't wipe the information on these. If I'm quick enough, I can hack into their servers and find something before they sweep it."

"Okay." He was never more glad for the infamous Black Widow's professionalism. His brain was still reeling. "Good idea."

Several months ago, Corinne had told them she was coming back to the Tower. Steve and Natasha had been busy exposing HYDRA in SHIELD. The rest of the team were too far from DC, but assisted with the aftermath. On the day of her flight, Corinne texted all of them and told them she was going under the radar.

It was believable that people would target her. She updated them once in a while, assuring them she was safely laying low.

_I shouldn't have overlooked Corinne's texts. Was she?…_

He reprimanded himself internally. There was nothing he could do now except find Corinne as fast as possible. He will not allow a repeat of what happened with Bucky.

Especially not Corinne.

Natasha typed rapidly, then clicked through the database. With lightning fast movements, she dragged hundreds of files onto the usb she had inserted. Given to them by Tony, it would be able to handle anything and everything. Her speed paid off as just as she finished, the screen went black.

"We need to get back to the Tower and go through them." Steve said, already jogging towards their jet. "They can handle the rest."

* * *

"Whoa, bad mission?" Tony jested when they burst into his workshop with steely faces.

"Welcome back." Bruce looked up from his work, cleaning his glasses. "Did you find Barnes?"

Steve didn't reply and showed them what they had found.

Tony pulled his eyebrows together in disbelief. "That's…"

"Corinne's phone." Bruce didn't seem like he believed it either. He didn't want to.

"We got all of that HYDRA base's data." Natasha handed Tony the usb.

For once, Tony didn't complain about being handed things. He plugged it into the nearest computer. "JARVIS, run a scan. Find anything with Corinne's face."

"Understood." A couple seconds went by. "Here are the results, sir. The earliest is security footage from January."

Tony cussed under his breath. Bruce closed his eyes, chest rising and falling with his deep breaths.

"She's been there for months."

"Do you think she's-"

"God..."

"No. Let's stop right there. Tony, run the video."

Tony's cursor had been hovering uncertainly over the first thumbnail. "We have to watch all of these…" His voice was filled with horror.

"To find her." Steve said with resolve. "Start it."

Tony selected it.

Corinne was lying on a stretcher with bands restraining her. She looked normal, and it sent painful pangs through everyone. Corinne even had her Sentinel, a superhero cartoon, shirt on. HYDRA rolled her down several hallways before placing her into an advanced looking room.

The next video showed her being taken to a laboratory. They couldn't hear what they were saying, but HYDRA forced Corinne into a chair.

Steve gripped the table edge. He had seen that chair before, after he had recovered and gone on his search for Bucky. There was one in every facility. Natasha met his eyes and affirmed with a nod.

_They're trying to brainwash her like Bucky._

The wood of the table cracked underneath Steve's fingers.

The others did not know and were not prepared for the bone chilling screams.

Several of them flinched. Even the most experienced, Natasha, had to hold back a wince.

Corinne let out the most painful noises. It went on for only minutes but to the rest of the Avengers, it was eternity. No one moved, transfixed by the torture that was being dealt to their friend.

Tony glanced at Bruce. "Hey, do you need to?…"

The doctor's skin was tinting a little too green. "I," he grit his teeth, breathing in and out hard, "I don't need to go to the chamber." The chamber was kind of the panic room Tony had built for the Hulk if he decided to show himself. They haven't had to use it yet, but it seemed like it might be the first time today.

The rest of the team watched warily until the green had shrunk back. On the screen, Corinne's shouts had been reduced to whimpers.

"What do you need?"

Bruce's eyes flitted to Corinne. "To get Corinne back."

"We will." Steve nodded to Bruce. He meant it fully. He would do whatever it took.

* * *

She had been moved.

The new holding cell was made of grey cement. A dewy odour filled her senses whenever she took a breath. There was a bed in the corner. A sink. A bucket. A mirror.

She was confused. This didn't feel right. Something had occurred, but what?

Not far from where she was, she heard the pitter patter of footsteps. She retreated to the back of her little room and peered through the bars. There were four pairs of feet coming towards her.

She gripped the anchored bed nervously. What did they want?

The four people came into view. Two scientists in white lab coats. One a bespectacled man, another a red lipped woman. They gave her a sense of familiarity, but a sinking feeling too.

It was the other two that was new. One was a brunette woman dressed in scarlet, penetrating eyes made more pronounced with smudged gray. Another was a man with almost silver hair, but youthful. He looked at her just as curiously as she did him.

They talked in hushed voices. She caught snippets of words. Memory loss. Enhanced. Be a friend.

"Hello, I hope you are adjusting well to your new environment." The older, shorter, man said. Her stomach churned. She decided she didn't like him. "We have some people here to visit you."

The door was pulled aside, and the two entered. The scientists left them, feet echoing farther and farther away into the hallway.

They sat down a meter away from her, cautious of their distance. She was crouching in her corner, defensive.

"Hello, I'm Quicksilver." The silver haired man said softly. He sounded different from the scientists, like he was from a different country. An accent, probably somewhere in eastern Europe. "This is my twin sister."

His sister smiled at her. "My name is Scarlet Witch. What is yours?" Her voice was similar to the man's. It was surprisingly husky.

Her face broke into a smile. Even with her confusion, it was clear that the names sounded weird. "Are those your real names?"

The man seemed encouraged by her, albeit weak, smile. He waggled his brows in a playful manner. "Of course."

"They are…" Scarlet Witch paused thoughtfully, and then continued as if she needed time to string together the words. "Nicknames. We thought you might be more comfortable sharing with your nickname. Our real names are Wanda and Pietro."

There was a brief pause before she realized. "I don't remember my nickname." She said truthfully. Now that she thought about it, her real name was a blank too.

"That's okay." Scarlet Witch nodded.

"We'll make a new one together!" Quicksilver exclaimed. It seemed like he had huge amounts of energy. He scrutinized her, and caught sight of something. "Sentinel."

"Sentinel?" She followed his line of sight. Her shirt's words read Sentinel. "Oh."

Scarlet Witch seemed pleased. "That is actually not so bad. I believe Sentinel means to watch and to defend. You are quite watchful."

She became aware of her crouched position by her bed. Why was she so paranoid? These siblings seemed nice. "I think…I liked this word. For something." It had something to do with a television. "Okay. I'm Sentinel."

"Sentinel, how are you?" Quicksilver used her new name enthusiastically.

"I'm…good? I feel like I've forgotten something important."

"What's the last thing you remember?"

_The chair. Pain. Then relief._

_When she came back to the world, there was a lot of noise. Gunfire rattled and dull thumps occasionally sounded. There was warmth near her._

_An arm was shielding her from the noise. She followed the arm to see a man with chin length brown hair, and a deadly look in his blue green eyes. He look ragged, but he seemed to be holding up well seeing how he was only one against so many. Something about him was familiar when she looked at him._

_His gaze met hers. "Can you run?" His voice was rough. He threw his gun up in the air and caught it with the arm he had around her._

_It was then she noticed the metal glint. The arm that had been shooting moved to block bullets that had strayed too close to her. The bullets ricocheted off the plates of his metal arm, causing some sparks._

_She took in her situation with puzzlement. Whatever this was, she wanted out. This man seemed to be determined to not have her die, so she deemed him safe. She placed her feet on the floor tentatively, and shifted her weight. They felt steady enough. "I can run, yeah."_

_He nodded curtly. With an accuracy that reminded her of some people she couldn't remember the names of, he finished off the people. "Follow me. Here."_

_He tossed a gun he picked up from a fallen guard to her. She caught it but held it a distance from her. It felt wrong. Her memory was faulty today, but this uneasy feeling couldn't be ignored. "I don't shoot people."_

_His calculating eyes considered her for a long time before they softened ever so slightly. "If you stay close, I'll make sure you don't have to. If you don't get out of here? You'll do it for the rest of your life."_

_To himself, he muttered pensively. "Why would they choose her as my replacement?"_

_The two ran through the hallways, the man disposed of the oncoming opposing forces. As promised, she didn't have to pull the trigger. There were some pretty close calls, but the man quickly threw up his metal arm to deflect the shots._

_They rounded a hallway and halted. It was a complete dead end. Their opponents had futuristic looking cannons aimed at them from all angles. Some of them carried metal tuning forks that reminded her of pain and helplessness. The man who had been helping keep her alive so far was at a lost too._

_"There's a window to our right," he whispered to her, "I'll get you time. Can you climb it?"_

_"Why? Why are you helping me?" She said back rapidly, eyeing the cannons with caution._

_"Man with…green eyes told me they were putting another person through what I had gone through."_

_There was no way he would hold up against those weapons, and come back with a beating heart. Something flared in her. She stepped in front of the man, and called on something that had been hiding in the depths of her brain. A screen of golden light stretched from the floor of the hall to the ceiling._

_"You go first."_

"I was about to leave with a man with a metal arm. He left, and I stayed. Why did I want to leave?"

The twins shared a look.

"I do not know. You were captured by the Avengers," Quicksilver said Avengers with a scornful curl of his lip, "and they used you. The doctors were able to free you."

"Are the Avengers bad?"

"Yes. They wreak havoc in the world, and they almost killed us." The pain and angst shining in Quicksilver's eyes was raw. "They say the Avengers disillusioned you."

Scarlet Witch placed her hand over her brother's. She whispered something comforting in a tongue Sentinel couldn't understand, and he calmed. The emotion was present in Scarlet Witch too, with the way her nails dug into her gloves.

"I…" She wanted to say she didn't feel like that was quite right, but their sadness was without a doubt true. She wanted to believe them. They had shown no malicious intent, so how can they be wrong? "I don't remember them."

"We can help you, if you let us." Quicksilver held out his other hand to her. "Whatever they did to you to lose your memory, we can fight back. Together."

Her head ached and she hurt all over. She wanted so badly to reach out and take their support. "But how?" Her question came out in a whisper.

"Look. Now you see me…" Quicksilver stood up, and then he was gone. Sentinel whipped her head around to see him on the other side of the room. "Now you don't!" He did it again.

"I see where your nickname comes from." Sentinel formed half a grin. "It must be hard getting dates."

Scarlet Witch laughed while Quicksilver pretended to be offended. "I get a lot of dates!"

"Okay." Sentinel smiled as he muttered something about her jokingly. Despite her lighthearted jab, she had a feeling he had no trouble at all with his charisma.

Without knowing, she had relaxed from her defensive stance, and was now closer to the twins. Her hold on her bed frame had loosened and she leaned forward. It was like their energy made her gravitate towards them.

Scarlet Witch dug out some small stones out of her pocket. With a curl of her fingers, they levitated by red spirals. Scarlet.

"Wow." Was all Sentinel could say.

"It is not all that I can do." Scarlet Witch had that searching expression on again. "I have an ability to see thoughts, and I could help you remember."

Quicksilver blurred and was in front of Sentinel in an instant, hand stuck out like he had never moved. "I am very fast. She has magic. We will protect you against Stark and his friends, if you let us."

Two scientists listened in and watched as the alliance began. Pietro and Wanda Maximoff joined hands with Corinne, who was laughing at whatever it was that Pietro said.

"The twins were not able to know the truth, thanks to the rumor we indirectly spread. She will become close to them." Doctor List observed. "The results will be quite satisfying. Von Strucker?"

The broad man peered at the surveillance through his monocle. He made a noise of indecision. "Is it not rather dangerous to have an Avenger here? The Avengers are frantically searching, and I would not risk the loss of the twins just because of her. Surely you could have thought of another way to utilize her."

"Her mind has gone through all of our conditioning procedures, and she remembers not even her own name-"

"To me, it does not seem necessary for her to befriend the twins. The Winter Soldier had no need for friends." Von Strucker remained unbelieving.

"The Winter Soldier was already a soldier when HYDRA got ahold of him. He was used to following orders, but she is not. We commanded her to make a shield, but she could not do it…"

"Or would not?"

Doctor List shook his head. "We have applied the highest levels of pain. She tried, but could not do it. Now, if you'd let me finish." He went to a computer and loaded up a video. "Here is the old Asset attempting to escape with her. We cut them off with weapons from all sides, and here she did what we have been trying to make her do."

Sure enough, a shield materialized before them and the cannons. "Our weapons, equipped with the same disrupting energy as the forks, took down the shields. The Asset got away, but she could not. See, this is where we understood. Ms. Lin, or Sentinel now, requires a purpose to activate her abilities."

"With the twins convincing her of Sokovia's distress, and forming a bond with her..."

List smiled. "As long as we have the Maximoffs under our control, Sentinel will be ours to order."

* * *

**More chapters to come after my exams end next week :) Let me know what you guys think!**

**06.19.15.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hooray for early updates!**

* * *

"Agh!" Glass shattered with the impact of a fist. "Where the hell is she?"

"Tony." Bruce sighed, and went to retrieve their extensive first aid kit. "This is the third screen you've broken." His voice was steady, but his face was pinched. Even though Tony had ruined the screen, he could still hear her screams ringing in his ears. The footage continued playing on another screen.

Despite his calm exterior, Bruce was seething inside. Not angry enough to bring out the Other Guy, but just enough so that it simmered underneath his skin. What they did or are  _still_  doing to her was despicable. Each end of the day pushed him closer and closer to having to use the panic room. It took all his will to keep it in. As much as the Other Guy wanted take it into his own hands and tear through the world, Corinne needed Bruce as  _Bruce_  here. Looking through the agonizing videos and doing countless scans.

It was unbelievable that they hadn't known sooner. Unbelievable that  _he_  hadn't known sooner.

Their door slid aside to reveal Natasha. Calm and composed as always. She seemed to function automatically. Out of all of them, she was the only one getting sleep. Preserving energy was important, she had said. In order to work, you need to meet the bare minimum.

"My contacts have nothing but vague guesses. They say she's in Europe." She glanced at the cracked screen. "Any clues in those videos?"

"Other than her being tortured to near death?" Tony laughed bitterly. "No. Makes my Afghanistan look like a play date. Ow!"

Bruce gave Tony a pointed look as he dug out a chunk of glass with his tweezers. It landed on the metal tray with a  _tink_. "Where is Steve?"

"Punching it out last time I saw." She shrugged. "Should be here any minute now."

The man they were speaking of arrived just seconds after, looking as haggard as everyone else. "Morning." He took a sweep of the room. "I'm guessing no progress, then."

In the background, Corinne's yells echoed in the footage.

"Please mute it, JARVIS."

Steve eased himself into a chair, but he was anything but relaxed. As Corinne liked to call it, he was in Mission Mode. Everyone straightened at his presence. He met everyone's gaze evenly. "I have a new plan. We find Thor, and ask him to consult Heimdall."

"Stevie, Thor's been as hard to find as Corinne." Tony objected. He winced as Bruce disinfected his hand with a little too much vigor.

"Do you have any other way?"

The silence that followed was deafening. There was no other way. The billionaire and his scientist friend had already scanned the planet countless times. Every continent, down to every single  _street_. Natasha had delved into her old web network that she had before SHIELD. Steve had been scouring every HYDRA base the moment it was discovered.

"Heimdall it is."

Natasha pressed her lips into a line. "Don't give up now. She is still alive, that I know." She pointed at an unbroken monitor. "She isn't dead because HYDRA wants to use her."

On the screen, scientists were demanding her to make a shield. She refused and was given more pain. The video was muted now, but the Avengers could still remember what her scream sounded like. They had, after all, watched each clip several times.

"I don't know whether to be glad she is resisting them or not." Tony glared at the scientists, if they were even considered human.

Bruce smiled sadly. "Her stubbornness is still there."

Natasha shook her head. "It'll be death of her someday."

"I'd rather have her dead than have her suffer what they did to Bucky." Steve gazed at the Corinne on the screen with an indescribable look.

The others looked at him in shock but didn't say a word.

He was right.

The super soldier stood up. "I'm going to go find Thor."

* * *

Sentinel exhaled as she made a shield just in time to block the bullets from the two figures down below. Her palms clutched to the metal rails of the walkway. That was a close call. The armed men and women with an eagle insignia on their arms continued looked around in confusion and Pietro sped away with Wanda. Sentinel yearned to go down there and help directly, but she followed them from above.

She didn't go as fast as them, of course, but she followed at a reasonable pace on her shield. Dr. List had insisted on keeping her up and out of sight. And by insisted, she meant he had ordered it. Something about him made her feel uncomfortable taking orders from him, but she obeyed. She believed in the twins, and wanted to protect Sokovia from Stark.

A breeze graced her face, and she stopped. The slightest shift in the air before her was something she had grown attuned to. The blur in front of her sharpened to reveal Pietro with his arms out.

"Come on," he whispered. She let him carry her, and they were off.

They arrived in the room within seconds. It was dark, illuminated only by the red glow of Wanda's magic. She was looking through the file cabinets with twists of her fingers.

Sentinel joined her, using her golden shields to open several drawers at once. "Were those people supposed to be there?" Dr. List had been thorough in their briefing, but hadn't said that the enemy would be here. Briefing. It was an official mission he had assigned to them. Get in the abandoned HYDRA base, and retrieve an important file before others got it. He hadn't named who the  _others_  were.

"Nope." Pietro responded, just for a brief second as he paused in his swift searching, before turning into a blur again.

Wanda nodded. "I looked inside one of their heads. They are from an organization called SHIELD, but work under  _Stark_." Her face distorted in displeasure at the word. "Dr. List must have underestimated how fast they would be here."

"Found it!" Pietro held up the manila folder in victory. "Let's go, yes?"

Dr. List was pleased to see the file when they went back to their own base in Sokovia. "Excellent," he almost clapped happily, "and no one saw Sentinel?"

"Not a soul." Wanda considered the file in the scientist's hands curiously. "May I ask what's in the file?"

Dr. List clammed up in an instant. "It is classified. You three have the rest of the day free to do whatever you wish on the base."

"Okay," Sentinel said quickly, pulling Wanda to her by the arm, "let's go to my room." She was interested in it too, but it wasn't often they got free time. Free time without the cameras.

Wanda gave one last lingering look at the file before nodding.

"Close your eyes, relax your mind. Are you ready?"

Sentinel nodded. "I am."

The three of them were sitting on the ground of her cell. After she had befriended the twins, they visited her everyday. It was great, but  _she_  wasn't allowed out. Sentinel had questioned this once, and her friends could only helplessly shrug. They said the scientists insisted that she was kept away from too much simulation. Peace would help her recover, they reasoned. Excluding their recent mission, Sentinel hadn't been outside of her room.

Now that Dr. List was busy with the file, they could do what they've been waiting to do for a long time. The first time they tried to do it, Dr. List had interrupted and prevented them from meeting for a week. He had said it was  _dangerous_  to make her remember. Again, too much simulation for her brain.

A warm hand held hers as she waited for Wanda to begin. Pietro's nervousness could almost be heard. She squeezed lightly in response to his buzz like anxiousness. Wanda's magic flowed and curled around her mind, gentle and almost caressing. Sentinel felt it, felt the minuscule prodding.

"I see something." Wanda murmured excitedly. "I'm going to show you-"

A needle like agony shot through her brain. Sentinel's eyes snapped open as she let out a noise of distress. The scarlet magic immediately dissipated, the connection cut.

"Sentinel! Are you okay?" Said Pietro.

She nodded after a few moments. "I'm fine. I think I've felt worse at some point. Let's do this again."

Pietro looked at his sister to see her looking disturbed, an expression he wasn't used to.

"No. Your mind is broken." Wanda muttered. "It is all disconnected, a mess."

"Are you sure? I can handle it." She wanted to remember so badly. The past few nights have been filled with dreams that had faces that she knew but couldn't name. She had certainty that they were snippets of memories.

"It's out of my power." Scarlet Witch cast her gaze downwards. "Your brain is like yarn that is tangled and snipped at some points. I can only read, I cannot heal. I'm sorry."

"Hey." Sentinel set her hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I probably really don't want to remember what they did to me anyway." She started off strong but her voice trailed off at the end.

Wanda nodded regretfully and hugged her. Pietro joined in.

"I have you guys too, right? I'll be fine."

* * *

"Hello, how can I help you?" Beth chirped brightly at the next customer. Today was a good day. Instead of a huge rush, business had been a steady flow.

"I'd like to pre-order a delivery, please." He smiled charmingly. "Half a dozen cupcakes."

"Of course." She got out an order sheet. "Fill out this order sheet, please. Let me know if you have any questions."

He nodded and took the paper to a table to complete.

Beth helped with two other customers before he came back. "Everything good to go?" She scanned the paper he handed to her. "Perfect."

He paid for his cupcakes. "Thank you, Beth."

_Huh, what a weird guy._

The man was dressed like he was about to go to a fancy dinner party, rather than ordering at a bakery. She knew him from somewhere. Beth would try to pinpoint where she knew him from, but his features shifted a little different ever so often. One thing was constant though, and that was the raven tresses and emerald eyes.

She waved as he left, and didn't pay the specifics of his order too much mind.

* * *

"We've got cupcakes from Corinne's friend's bakery." Bruce lifted the box in confusion. "She doesn't know Corinne's gone, does she?"

Natasha's eyes studied the box. "It's addressed to us specifically." The blue bubble had Steve, Tony, Natasha, Bruce, Clint, and Thor written on it. "JARVIS?"

"I do not detect any explosives in it. I would not have let it pass the doors if there were. There are only vanilla and chocolate baked goods in it." A pause. "It is not poisionous either."

"Goodie, I need a sugar rush right now. Gimme!" Tony snatched the orange box and opened it with glee. A memo fluttered to the floor.

Bruce picked it up. "I think you might wanna see this."

Natasha leaned over. "What you are looking for is a fortress amidst snow and mountains. The shield is east, but fogged. Internal war rages in the nation."

"That's weird." Tony spoke with his mouth smeared with icing.

Bruce ruminated the words. "The shield. This is…do you think this is about Corinne?"

"East, snow, mountains. My contacts say Europe. East Europe, then? HYDRA does have a series of facilities there." Natasha was already tapping at her phone. "Internal war? That could be a lot of places."

"Hold on a sec, guys." Tony lifted his eyebrows. "What if it's a trap? We don't know who sent it?"

Once again, they had to be desperate.

"It's the only lead so far." Bruce replied resignedly.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Agent Hill has just sent the Avengers a mission." JARVIS pulled up the details into a hologram.

A flash of irritation passed through Natasha's eyes, but they widened as she saw the intel. "They have Loki's scepter."

"Looks like we're going to have to call in Clint and Thor."

* * *

The cold has long seeped into his skin, and burrowed in it. He is frozen, both figuratively and literally. He remains this way in silence for a long time, until a soft voice breaks through.

"Nice punch you did there."

The numbness of the ice fades away and he squints to see her. Standing there, among the training mats. Her hand was outstretched, offering him help.

He feels the hard ice melts away to the foamy cushion of the mat. The dim training room, with its array of equipment they would never get through entirely. It's normal.

"Steve?"

He jolts out of his reverie to accept her hand. She heaves him up with a grunt.

At some corner of the gym, Rumlow's voice echoes. "Quit socializing."

They fall into the easy flow of sparring. The pattern of it fills him with a sense of nostalgia, and he knows this is a dream, but he pretends. He wishes it lasts.

It doesn't.

Corinne is caught off guard, and falls to her back. She laughs it off, and Steve chuckles along. Their moment is not even ruined by dream Rumlow. Her laugh turns into gasps. Steve opens his eyes where they had been closed from laughter to see that their surroundings have changed.

Instead of the blue mats of the training room, a chill runs through him as he's reminded of certain snowy days. He hates the cold. He lost himself to the cold. He lost Bucky to the cold.

Corinne gasps still, on the blanket of snow. Her eyes are so wide he can see the all of the white, and her mouth takes in gulps of air like she's drowning.

"Steve." The look she gives him tugs at his heart.

Steve reaches for her, but his movements are slow. Corinne sinks into the snow. The screams that erupt are the same screams he had been listening to for days on the security tapes.

He wakes up in a cold sweat. It takes a while for him to calm himself before he gets up. His super soldier serum brain wouldn't let the nightmare fade away. Steve would have to remember everything.

A few hours later, he stops his motorcycle at their designated meeting spot. A beam of rainbow light bursts out of the sky and strikes the ground. Steve squints through the brightness to see a huge man with a flowing, red cape. He breathes a little easier as he sees Thor. He had to reach him through Jane, and even she didn't guarantee Thor's return.

"Thor." He greets with a nod and a grin.

Thor suffocates him in a tight hug. If he wasn't enhanced, his bones probably would have broke. "Captain!"

Thor releases Steve, and a solemn look settles over his face. Steve's heart sinks. "Heimdall cannot see her." Thor said dejectedly. Dust clouds surrounded his feet where a fresh Bifrost pattern stamped the ground.

Steve clenched his jaw. "What do you mean? Heimdall sees everything."

"Corinne is not within his sights on any realm."

Horror struck him that made his lungs struggle to take in air. "She's dead." Even if her pain had ended, he still couldn't imagine her  _gone_.

"Perhaps." The demigod grimaced, but then shook his head firmly. "But we must not lose hope yet. Jane had disappeared from Heimdall's sights too not too long ago. She was not dead, but instead, hidden from his gaze by the Aether. Corinne may be the same."

"I can't think of any way HYDRA could hide Corinne from Heimdall. As much as I hate to say it, we are not advanced enough."

"Yes." Steve would have laughed at his quick agreement if not for the serious situation. "Midgardians could not do this, but this…HYDRA may have had help from another realm."

* * *

"Is she contained?"

"Yes," Dr List showed them the live feed of her cell, "the energy you gave us was useful in breaking down her resistance. We must thank you, as she is a valuable asset."

"Her containment is more advantageous to my kind than you may think. Asset?"

"Two of our other assets has convinced her of our…cause. She is sent on missions with them." The scientist peered anxiously.

He would never quite get used to talking to them. Tall by any human's standards, the power of this being loomed over him. There was no doubt that their species could easily overtake Earth. Yet, they hadn't, and instead they wanted just one woman to be contained.

"I see." Their ear, long and pointed, twitched. An assortment of metal and jewel earrings that decorated it jangled.

Dr. List said curiously. "Is that alright?"

"I do not care what you order her to do, as long as she is inaccessible to my enemies."

_And who are your enemies?_  Dr. List wondered. He didn't dare ask, as he felt he was already grating on the being's nerves.

The elf looked at him, a knowing look in their eyes. "Let's hope you never meet them."

* * *

**Next chapter: The Avengers minus one pays a visit to a certain base in Sokovia, marking the start of AOU.**

**Who was that customer? ;)**

**06.26.15.**


	11. Chapter 11

_A quiet looking man with glasses was applying something to her face. From the appliances and the counter, they were in a kitchen._

_He spoke while concentrating on whatever was on her face. "What is in your bag?"_

_She moved without really thinking, having no control over her actions. In fact, now that she thought about it, she felt like she was observing through…herself? She opened a messenger bag on the island counter. In it was a laptop, wallet, and a fluorescent green notebook. Again, her mouth moved by itself. "My research is in there. Do you think?…"_

_The man met her probably unsure look with a nod. "It could be a coincidence, but as much as I hate to say it, there are people out there who would do anything to get information on enhancements to further their own causes."_

"Wake up, Dr. List wants us !" Pietro's enthusiastic voice roused his victim awake.

Sentinel groaned and rolled over on her cot. These types of dreams always confused her. There was some familiarity each time, but they were so varied they made no sense. A bakery, a gym, a laboratory much like Dr. List's, and an apartment were just some of the places they took place in. "Do you know why?"

"Yes, we have another mission." Wanda smiled at her, then frowned at her hurried but stilted movements to get up. "Is something wrong?"

She shook her head, fingers rubbing at her temple. "My head hurts, that's all."

"Is it from…" Pietro glanced at the camera at the wall, unsure as to whether to continue or not. His meaning was clear.  _Was it from Wanda's attempt to recover her memory?_

"No, and I'm fine. See?" Sentinel jumped up, half a grin spread on her face. "Race you."

A childish grin lit up Pietro's face. He disappeared in a blur.

"Always works." Sentinel shrugged at Wanda's look.

"You might have distracted him, but you cannot distract me." Wanda's gaze held Corinne's as they walked to the scientist's office.

"After I use my powers, I usually get headaches. I think." It was one of the few things she could remember. Even if she didn't remember, it wasn't difficult to figure out. "It will be over in a day."

Wanda narrowed her eyes at her, before rolling her eyes. "Stubborn."

* * *

A tall figure stood with Dr. List when they entered. Sentinel felt a chill go through her when her eyes landed on the man. He was simply etheral, and it was odd to see him in this dusty place. The pointed ears were not unnoticed by her either.

Their voices were hushed as they spoke. The three enhanced shared confused looks. None of them have seen this gigantic, long haired man before.

"Ensure…acquire…eliminate." Sentinel could only catch a couple words. Her eyes roamed over the office, taking into detail the coldness of it. It always had an unwelcoming feel. A flash of colour caught her eye. On Dr. List's desk, a drawer had been pulled out, and inside it was a bright green book.

 _It's mine._  The thought immediately popped into her mind. It gave her a sense of deja vu that could only have originated from dreams.

The tall man noticed their presence and left through the other door swiftly. Dr. List looked troubled as he turned his attention to them. "You three are early."

"We came as fast as we could." Wanda said.

"Not really that fast." Pietro whispered.

Sentinel absentmindedly nudged him lightly with Dr. List's attention on Wanda. Her eyes kept on falling on the fluorescent book.

_"My research is in there. Do you think?…"_

_The bookish looking brunette nodded. "It could be a coincidence, but as much as I hate to say it, there are people out there who would do anything to get information on enhancements to further their own causes."_

"There is another facility that you three need to check. Here are the details." The scientist slid the paper across his desk. Pietro took it, reading through its contents.

"Will this help us take down the Avengers?" Pietro's hand tightened slightly on the sheet. "We have been on many of these missions, and I can't see how it affects them." The anger was starting to bubble again.

This was not the first time Sentinel had seen how much the twins hated the Avengers. One time they had acquired photos of them, and they had explained each member to her in spiteful detail, especially Tony Stark. Stark's name had been on the bomb, after all. It would be difficult to forgive the name of the man that was on the very thing that decided your life.

The rest of them, she was unsure. Sentinel knew she used to help them as her scattered dream memories' faces matched theirs. Even though they said she had been tricked, she still had doubts. Everything in her dreams felt  _genuine_.

"…it will destroy them in more ways than you can imagine. We have to be patient. Now, go get ready. Sentinel?"

She jolted out of her reverie. "Yes?"

"Is there anything you'd like to say?"

The no was about to leave her lips before she reconsidered. The green journal. "That book is mine." She gestured to it.

Dr. List froze in his nerving smile. Sentinel's headache announced its existence once again with agonizing throbbing.

Wanda and Pietro gave her surprised looks. "What are you saying?" One of them asked. She didn't know which one because she was staring at the scientist to analyze his reaction.

He looked back at her in mirth. "No, it's mine, I'm afraid. Finances. Your amnesia must be starting again." He took slow steps towards her and awkwardly put a hand on her shoulder. "Go visit the infirmary before you go on your mission." He turned his back on them.

They walked out of his office. "Is it really yours?" Pietro questioned after they were some distance away.

Sentinel nodded. "I saw it in a dream. I know it was a memory."

"Wanda?"

"His mind was…unsteady. He was trying not to think of something so I can't read it. He might be."

They headed to their rooms in silence. Even if he was hiding something, List was their superior. There had to be a good reason he kept something from them. What was Sentinel supposed to do? Just take it?

"There's nothing we can do but get ready for the mission."

"Are you going to the infirmary?"

"No, I don't like going there." She shivered at the phantom feel of the metal chair. It was a blur whenever she gets her head checked there. Whenever she left the chair, she felt detached, in a way. Despite her faulty memory, she always remembered that the visits were uncomfortable. Pietro and Wanda are never allowed to go with her either. It always has to be just her.

As they pass through the hallways of cement and metal, voices erupt from the command room.

"Recall to the stations immediately!"

"We are under attack!"

Wordlessly, they run over and peer out from the doorway. Wanda and Pietro instinctively hold hands at the chaos.

Baron Strucker is barking orders like no tomorrow. " Deploy the rest of the tanks! Concentrate fire on the weak ones. A hit can make them close ranks."

"Who's attacking?" Sentinel gets the attention of one of the armed men.

Cold sweat is a sheen on his forehead. His fingers clutches his gun. "The Avengers."

She flinches in shock, but the man is already off to defend the base. Sentinel turns back to her friends to see them listening attentively to Strucker.

"No surrender!"

The determined glint in their eyes scares her. They are so eager for vengeance, Sentinel fears for their safety. Avengers were dangerous, after all.

"Send out the twins." Dr. Lost urges Strucker. Wanda and Pietro stand a little taller, hopeful.

"It's too soon."

"It's what they signed up for."

"My men can hold them." Strucker turns away dismissively. They deflate and Sentinel sends them a sympathetic look.

While the two head scientists are in a deep discussion, the twins whisper. Sentinel joins their huddle.

"You two are going, aren't you?" Sentinel heard Strucker's orders as well as anyone else, but she knew better than to believe the twins would obey.

They nod, and there's no hesitation in their eyes.

"Then I'm coming too."

* * *

Sentinel's making shields in front of HYDRA's soldiers as they protect the base. The Avengers are relentless, easily disposing dozens of soldiers at a time. Sentinel floats above eyesight on a force field, assisting when she can without alerting either sides of her presence.

She watches in slight fascination as the team works together. They fought like clockwork. The patriotic one, Captain America, combined the power of his shield with Thor's lightning. They swept the feet off of several HYDRA before she could form a barrier. The enormous humanoid…Hulk? Hulk barged through HYDRA's largest defenses with its brute strength. Two more, a red haired woman and an archer, worked more quietly but no less efficiently. Black Widow and Hawkeye.

Sentinel keeps an eye on the Avengers as she blocks. They spread out eventually, and she lets herself get closer. She decides to go near the one less likely to see her. The Hulk.

She makes strong defenses in front of the tanks and machine guns. Its huge fists punch at the shields, but to no avail. It roars furiously in confusion.

The giant whips around to look at her. Something akin to surprised recognition flashes in the monster's eyes. It was almost self aware. Sentinel had underestimated its intelligence. Its colossal arm moves, and she flies away just in time. She thinks it meant to strike her until she sees the reaching hand. The Hulk had wanted to grab her.

And it keeps wanting to. Hulk continues to go after her, and she keeps on flying away on her shield. It roars in frustration as she gets to the denser part of the snow dusted woods. Its shout reverberates through everything, sending vibrations through her with its volume.

Luckily for her, several tanks distract Hulk and she flies away forgotten. She continues her defense of the facility, keeping an eye on her friends. Pietro doesn't even let himself be seen, and has already injured Hawkeye.

Black Widow runs below her, and she looks up at Sentinel. She reaches into her belt and raises not a gun, but a taser. Several bursts of electricity is shot at her. Sentinel deflects them and hurries away.

"She's here." Black Widow reports to the others. She hears heavy breathing and fighting on the other ends of the com. "Heading east. I tried to knock her out, but you know, shields."

"Corinne's here?" Tony exclaims.

"How is she?"

"Fine, physically. But is obviously brainwashed into thinking we're the enemy. She ran away from me, and I swear I saw her helping HYDRA."

"I'll get her. You can go give Hulk a lullaby." Steve says.

* * *

Flying now seems like it draws more attention than she wanted. She descends and trots through the snow. From behind the tree, she sends energy fields.

"Corinne." It's more of a breath than a spoken word.

Sentinel can't help but freeze where she is, staring at the blond who had spoken. The word he uttered sends a rush of nostalgia through her. It had been said many times in her dreams.

He looks at her like he isn't sure if she's real. The man approaches her slowly, blue eyes fixed on her. Emotions conflict on his face, fighting for control until at last something indescribable settles.

"Hi, I'm Steve." His voice cracks with that  _something_.

Sentinel narrows her eyes. "I know who you are."

Relief visibly floods through him, but doubt lingers. "You do?"

"You're Captain America, an Avenger. You tricked me into helping you ruin the world." The spite in her voice surprises even her.

"You're confused. HYDRA, they brainwashed you. Let me help you."

"They didn't." She's tense, here for the moment but ready to bolt at any moment.

"You don't remember a lot before this, do you?" He knows he chose the right words when she reacts to them. "I know they may have said some things about us, but it's not the truth. Come with us, and we'll help. You can leave whenever you want. I won't stop you."

She shakes her head hesitantly. She whispers. "All of you are dangerous." It sounds like a broken record to her ears. The Avengers are dangerous, the Avengers are dangerous, the Avengers are dangerous.

"I would never hurt you. Please." His hand is out for her to take. His voice is hoarse and thick, like it hurts himself to say it.

His face, his hand…It reminds her of one of her dreams. They are in a gym in the dreams, in the same position. Except in those they are laughing and smiling.

She believes what Pietro and Wanda said, but nothing about this man set off any alarms. In fact, she feels at ease with him. Between the dreams she gets, and her instinct told her he wasn't lying, not like List. Or Bonnie. Or Strucker. She wanted to believe him.

Some part of her protests. If she did this, it would mean that she was betraying the Maximoffs, and Dr. List.

But Dr. List never offered complete answers. He was always hiding something…

And she wanted to know.

* * *

"Dr. List? The Avengers made contact with Sentinel. Should I?…"

Within the depths of the fortress, the man rubs his temple in resignation. He was rushing to the databases to wipe all of their work out. And now, he had to wipe yet another thing. All that time, effort, and resources were going to be wasted. But he couldn't disobey the elf.

_Ensure that if they ever do acquire her, eliminate her._

"Shoot her."

* * *

As she reaches out, and a burst of electricity followed by a sharp pain shoots through her abdomen. With her protective layer of energy gone, it digs right into her. The man yells in alarm.

Red blossomed rapidly on her shirt. Steve was struck at how close this was getting to his nightmare. The snow, the pain on her face.

"Corinne!" He applied pressure onto the wound. Blood spilled over his fingers and splattered scarlet onto the pure white snow.

She looked more alarmed at him then at her wound. Corinne tried to sit up. "You, I-"

Steve made her lie back. "I know, I know, it's okay. I'll get you back to the tower. Hang in there." His voice sounded foreign to his ears. Corinne's alive, alive and here. And she had wanted him to help her.

She lifted her hand, trailing her fingers along his cheek. Confusion colours her face, and then realization. The next moment Steve's head snapped to the side with a smack.

He rubbed his probably bruised face. "What-"

"Go away,  _Captain America_." Her whisper was louder to his ears than any of the yells happening in the background. The accusation in her eyes hurts. "I trusted you, and you shot me."

Steve had faced Bucky's amnesia, so he had somewhat prepared himself for this. But the look in Corinne's eyes gave away how much HYDRA had twisted everything. HYDRA not only wiped her memories, but twisted the facts. Somehow.

She had formed an opinion of him, and it didn't seem like she was going to forget it anytime soon

He looked back to where the bullet had come from. It was one of the bunker stations HYDRA hid in. He pointed to it, looking at her desperately. "It came from HYDRA, not us. Let me help." He goes to help her, but his hand is stopped by a dome shield.

It was like Bucky all over again. Would she reject him? Her breaths were getting more and more shallow and he couldn't stand getting so close and losing her.

Her hand which had been pressing into the shot had become pale. She shivered as blood continually trickled to the snow. The blood loss was going to kill her at this rate. The bullet had gone too near her heart for comfort.

Her eyes assessed him. It felt like an eternity until the force field gave through. She let her hand drop from her chest, and he replaced it with his own. Corinne looked at him with unfocused eyes for a moment, and shut them. Panic rose in his throat until he realized she was fine. Not completely asleep, just trying to concentrate on breathing.

"Corinne's been shot. How long until we can head back?" Steve said hurriedly into his com.

"Too long. I've got Bruce here. He's tired, but he's all we've got right now." Natasha replied. "Where are you?" He gave her his location.

When they arrived, they looked at her in varying degrees of shock. Bruce sprinted over and knelt beside her. He took a second to look at her, to affirm that she was real. Steve couldn't blame him. It was hard to believe that, after all these months, she was right in front of them.

Bruce inspected the wound. "Bullet didn't go through. She's lost a lot of blood, but it could have been worse. I can't do much right now. She needs scans, maybe a surgery, and that's going to have to wait until we get back to the Tower." Bruce's hands join Steve's in applying pressure. Controlled anger shines in his eyes. "Who did this?"

"HYDRA." Steve nods towards the tower.

"Why would they shoot her?" Bruce clenches his jaw.

"It's better to get rid of a weapon than to have your enemies have it." Natasha replied quietly. She said it like she knew personally. The spy sits down and brushes Corinne's hair away from her face. Her black tresses have grown long since she last saw her.

"She's more than a weapon."

"I know."

"Captain, you need to go." Natasha said. "We'll take it from here."

Hesitation flashed on Steve's face, but he nodded and headed for the facility. Strucker was definitely not getting away.

"Should Thor come for an evac?" Natasha murmured.

"No, we can't risk too much movement. We'll have to move the jet here, and then transport her." The snowflakes were landing on his blood stained fingers. "Get Thor to find some sort of medical kit, with emergency blanket? The cold is going to elevate the shock..." He bit his lip in worry as his hand nudged at her shoulder. "Hey, I need you to stay with me so I know you're okay. Can you do that?"

She took a shaky breath. "Yeah."

* * *

"They have Sentinel." Pietro noted with alarm some distance away behind a tree. They had let Tony Stark take the scepter, and came back to find their friend. He wasn't exactly in a good mood. "And she's hurt. Wanda, they have her-"

Wanda looks displeased but she shakes her head. Her arm is the only thing barring Pietro from going to them. The Avengers had placed her onto a stretching and was rolling her onto the jet. The whole team was extremely attentive, and she knew with a sinking feeling that List had lied about more than the book. "Let them." She bites out. "She's wounded badly and they have the resources." As much as she hated to admit it, Sentinel would not live if they took her back.

"When she recovers, we'll help her escape."


	12. Chapter 12

Sentinel could only dizzily watch as the Avengers strapped her in. They had moved her into their jet and were quickly taking off.

The doctor, Bruce Banner, as he had introduced himself while waiting for the stretcher, hooked her onto some medical equipment. "Vitals look good. How are you feeling now?"

"Same as before. Sleepy." Her ears felt stuffed as she heard her own voice.

Some of the others tensed at her voice. It hadn't escaped her attention that these people kept on glancing at her. They kept on looking at her when they thought she didn't know. Even if she didn't see them looking, she could still feel their eyes on her. Constantly.

"Well," Dr. Banner gave her another look over, "try not to fall asleep just yet."

"Okay."

He looked like he wanted to say something more. Or he was expecting something from her. What, she didn't know. He nodded, and sat on the side with his headphones slipped on.

The whir of the aircraft was the only noise for a long time. Sentinel felt her eyelids drooping with each passing minute. She was so tired. Her head despite the lightheadedness, was still pounding. The doctor had done something to her wound that stopped the bleeding for now, explaining he had a friend that would help with the rest.

"Hey, you don't look like you're following doctor's orders." A confident voice interrupted her near lapse into sleep. She landed her gaze on Tony Stark. "I'm Tony Stark."

She simply nodded, clueless as to what to say. "I know."

"So…what else do you know?" At what she guessed were glares from the others, he said indigantly. "What? Someone's gotta ask! Rip the band aid." He paused and glanced at her. "Do you know what a band aid is?"

She was almost thrown off by him, but recognized this was just him. This man had an odd way of breaking the ice. "I know what a band aid is."

"What is it then?"

"Someone who helps a music group." At his lost look, she shut her eyes and tried to not smile. "It's a bandage."

The covered snickering was almost as good as the lost face Stark had pulled before. Seeing him unsure of what to say to an injured, probably amnesiac person was gold. A couple of the others whispered to each other.

"Definitely her."

Black Widow, or Natasha, spoke up. "Come on, leave the patient alone to rest," she lowered her voice, "or you're just going to embarass yourself more."

"She is right. A warrior must heal." Thor said.

"Steve?"

He looked like he would be on Tony's side, with the way he kept glancing at her. Always a strained look on his face. But he said: "She's tired."

"Fine!" The genius threw his hands up. "I tried."

Despite all the joking, the others' interest had piqued when Tony asked. She knew they wanted to hear her answer. The tension was thick on the jet. Everyone hovered yet stayed away, unsure of her boundaries. They wanted to say a lot, she guessed. Tell her who she was, what she should be like. Sentinel sighed.

_Should I cooperate? I don't even know if I did the right thing._  She shifted and pulled at her injury. _I did because I got shot and I wanted answers. But if what…Steve? Steve. If what Steve said was true, then I am supposed to make an effort to remember and be whoever it was I was before._

With so many thoughts milling about her head, she was surprised when she responded. "I know your names from what they told me. The rest…I remember bits and pieces sometimes. But it's different."

Different was one way to put it. Her dreams were just as confusing as normal dreams. Sometimes you're in a body, sometimes you're watching from afar. When you're in a body, you are who you are. If it's a particularly emotional dream, you might even wake up upset and believing whatever it was had happened. But in her special dreams, even if she was in her body, she felt like she was an outsider.

An outsider to herself. Which made absolutely no sense.

"Like you didn't feel whatever's happened?"

She turned her head. Hawkeye. Clint Barton. "Yeah. Like that."

At her expression, he shrugged. "I've had my share of mind messes."

* * *

"Focus on recovering. You can worry about the rest later." That's what Bruce had said to her before she was sent to the med bay beds.

It was a good call too. With the exertion of using her powers today, and getting shot, she was exhausted. On the stark white bed, she let herself reflect on everything.

The others had lingered around while Clint and her tissues were being rebuilt. She had been fascinated by what Dr. Cho was doing to her. A burning curiosity had came out automatically, like it had always been there. She had watched and listened with great attention as Dr. Cho explained how it worked.

The Avengers seemed to loosen up a bit as they noticed her fascination with Dr. Cho's work. Was she supposed to be like this?

Does she want to be like what she was like before?

Her head hurt, so she let herself be lulled into sleep.

* * *

"It's too good to be true." Steve said by one of walkways, elbows resting on the rail. He swiped at a tablet, but occasionally shot a glance at the med bay Corinne was in.

Bruce was just making his way down the stairs from the workshop. It had been a riveting conversation with Tony. "Corinne?"

The blond nodded. "She's back."

The scientist joined Steve's side. "Is she really?"

"I still think she's here. Even without remembering, she's there." It was not hard to see he meant it. Steve probably applied this to his other amnesiac friend too. "Did you see the way she looked at Dr. Cho?"

Bruce chuckled. "No one could have missed it." Her mannerisms were still so her. He feels more hopeful now than before, in the snow. "I missed her." He states honestly.

"So did I." And the rest of the team. Everyone could finally rest easier. "I want to talk to her, though. Be near her. Tell her everything. But she wouldn't…" He shook his head.

"It wouldn't help. I know what you mean. I think we all do, and it hurts to not be able to comfort her."

"Last thing we want is to alienate her."

* * *

When she blearily opens her eyes, she notices another presence in her room.

"The princess has awoken." They say. Smooth voice, slightly accented. She focuses her gaze on them to reveal a man with green eyes and long black hair that falls in waves.

Her tinge of annoyance at being called princess is overcome by suspicion. She puts a shield up just in case. "Did HYDRA send you?" How did he even get in here? Shouldn't Stark's tower have basic, if not the highest in the world, security?

"The program can't detect things that aren't here. Physically, anyway." The man uncrosses his legs in his regal lounge. "And nobody sent me. I am only here to tell you something."

Her lips pressed into a thin line. "Why should I trust you. Who are you, even?"

"I'm your subconscious." Did he actually wink?

She gave him an unbelieving, deadpan look.

"It seems you are still sharp after what happened." His mouth drew into a smirk. "I came here to tell you that after this… _truly_  Midgard threatening issue, follow them."

What threatening issue? The twins? "Who's them?"

"You will meet them, soon enough. They will help you remember fully, among other things. Here's a helpful hint: they will not be calling you Corinne or Sentinel."

This person knew a lot about her life. She surprisingly didn't feel alarmed at his presence though. He could be dangerous, but he wasn't right now. "Did I know you-"

The door clicked open and a head poked in. Natasha Romanoff. "Hey, are you good?" Her eyes scanned the area, and completely passed over the man sitting in the corner.

"I'm good." She scruntinized the spy for any sort of reaction. None. The man sent her a mischevious grin when she glanced his way.

_Maybe I have more than memory loss to worry about. I'm going crazy._

_This is the least of your worries._ The same voice replied, but in her head.

"May I come in?"

It was then that she noticed the redhead had been waiting patiently by the door the whole time. She nodded towards another chair.

Sentinel shot a quick look at the other chair in the corner. Empty.

Natasha's steps were silent as she sat down, placing a tray onto the table beside her. If she had heard her talking to herself, she said nothing. "Thought you would be hungry. We didn't want to wake you up last night, since you were so tired. But here."

On the tray was a muffin, orange, and a mug of something warm. Her hunger made itself known with a gnawing feeling in her stomach. Might as well, right? If they had wanted her dead, they wouldn't have gone through all that effort.

"Thank you." She took a complentative bite of the muffin. Some kind of fruit embedded into it made delightful bursts of flavor. "It's good. Did you make this?"

The agent let out a snorting kind of laugh. "Me? No way. Someone else did…" Natasha said the next words softly. "It was one of your recipes that you shared it with him."

"Oh." She continued eating and drinking in silence. Natasha was at ease with the silence, and somehow sat there without making Sentinel uncomfortable. It felt companiable and familiar.

"I had my memory wiped at least two times so far. I'm sure you know about the watered down history of my life."

Of course she did. Everyone knew that the Black Widow had been a lethal combination of spy and assassin, and when the SHIELD files had been leaked, everyone knew more. Wanda and Pietro often referred to the files as they explained the Avengers to her. The rigorous Red Room training, her operations, everything she's done…It wasn't that big of a leap to believe her.

"It wasn't like I forgot how to do things. I still had my skills. Certain things, sparring, weapons, dancing, I could still remember. There were parts of me that were still there."

"How did you remember?" Sentinel wanted to stop the longing looks on the others' faces. "How long did it take?"

"A long time." Natasha smiled sadly. "I did it gradually. You have to try to do things that feel familiar, and go from there. I also had people fill me in on things that happened. It's possible to remember. Do you want to?"

She took a long time to ruminate. "They called me Sentinel. I liked that name, but sometimes, it didn't feel right. I know you think the twins are bad, but they're not." She looked at Natasha unsure, but the woman nodded. "They were nice to me, and I felt fine doing the missions they gave us. It was just, I always had a nagging feeling that bothered me so much...But I do want to remember."

By now her hands were shaking badly and she gripped the mug with her hands. Natasha placed a hand over hers.

"I know some people who can help with this sort of thing. And you can always ask us." She patted her hand and stood up.

Natasha had her hand around the door knob when she blurted it out. "What if I can never be the same?"

Her response was another laugh. Although this time, it was slightly bitter. "You can't be the same,  _dushenka_." A thoughtful pause. "We won't blame you for not being the old you."

* * *

Corinne wasn't supposed to go through this. She was innocent. A civilian with some unique abilities. A normal scientist who liked to bake occasionally. One of theirs. Natasha cursed HYDRA under her breath.

"How is the lady?" Thor asked. He was sitting tensely on the couch, which was occupied by the others. Steve, Bruce, and Clint looked up at her hopefully. Tony was hiding in his lab for some reason, coping in the way only he does.

They had all wanted to go in at once. It was endearing that the team cared, but it wouldn't lessen Corinne's stress. Several members of the team, cared significantly more, and Natasha would not have Corinne deal with that too on her watch.

Love is so messy.

"She's handling it well. For now. Corinne wants to remember."

Happiness shone in their eyes, followed by a solemn acceptance. It was going to be a long process, but they took in the responsibility.

"She needs some sort of psycharitrist." Natasha took a seat at the edge of the couch. "I could ask Hill for trusted SHIELD ones."

"I have some friends from Culver who went into being a psycharitrist." Bruce supplied. "I don't think she would respond well to one of SHIELD's." Not after Tiffany, Rumlow, and all the other HYDRA sleepers she encountered.

Steve agreed. "Sam is still running his group. If she wants to, she can join."

"At the very least, the scepter is here and about to return to Asgard. We can have some peace to help her in her recovery." Thor beamed brightly. "Do not fret, Corinne will be fine."

* * *

"Corinne Lin." The name rolled off her tongue smoothly. "Corinne Lin."

JARVIS had pulled up a hologram of the files on her. There was a general summary of her life. She studied and was studying science before everything had happened. She worked in a bakery with her friend Beth sometimes. Once in a while, a photo of her popped up. A picture of her graduating, a picture of her with her classmates, and a picture of her with the rest of the Avengers.

She expanded it. They were in what looked like a living room, huddled into a group. Everyone was tangled into a mess, but they were all smiles.  _We_  were all smiles. On the ground was a white mat with different coloured circles.

_Twister._  Her mind recognized.  _We were introducing Steve to the game._

She had slept too much, and now, at night, she was wide awake. Corinne left her room and tiptoed into the empty common floor. The only light came from the workshop. She heard two voices and she decided to investigate.

The glass door slid open for her, and she took in Bruce and Tony looking intently at holograms with their backs turned to her. She wasn't close enough to see what was on the projections, so she moved closer.

"JARVIS, run that trial again but this time-" Tony noticed her abruptly, but took it in stride. "Hi."

Bruce jumped a bit and turned to wave at her. It was almost funny how tentative the wave was. Everyone was so cautious, so careful. She felt a pang of annoyance.

The lab looked like a mess. Papers were everywhere on the floors and on the tables. In the middle of it all was the scepter.

"What are you doing?" She asked curiously.

"Just taking a look see at the scepter." Tony shrugged. "Pretty boring stuff." Bruce nodded, albeit after a bit of hesitation.

She had a feeling there was more to it. On one of the projections was an ongoing list of trials, on another were lines of code. Looked like a program or something.

"Are you sure that's all?"

"Positive. Hey, you're coming to the afterparty in a couple of days, right?" Tony brushed her off casually.

"Tony," Bruce said warningly. His eyes flashed to Corinne apologetically.

The pang of annoyance struck again.

_It's possible to remember. Do you want to?_

"Sure." She said much to their surprise. "What time is it?"


	13. Chapter 13

The next day, the doctors deemed her well enough to leave the med bay.

Following the voice of JARVIS, she was lead to her room. Room was an understatement as her room consisted of an entire floor. It was furnished much like the rest of the tower-simple, but probably costed more than she could imagine.

She went through everything curiously. She found pictures and trinkets in the drawers. Books, scientific journals, and papers at the desk. The closet was full of clothes ranging from casual wear to formal wear. It was weird to think that all these things belonged to her. Corinne went through them, as she had to find something for the party in two days. She ran her hand through the fabrics thoughtfully, and paused at the feel of a much cooler and textured fabric.

She pulled it out to see it more clearly. It was a suit similar to the one Black Widow was wearing in Sokovia. The black fabric gave off a blue sheen as the light reflected on it. She pulled at it. Tough, but light.

"Body armor?" She guessed under her breath.

"Impenetrable to all known types of blades and bullets. It was developed by SHIELD and Mr. Stark himself." JARVIS added in.

She put it back on the hanger, but made a mental note of it. "That's…useful."

Corinne takes a few hours to thoroughly go through her belongings. Her memories return little by little, which seems unusual. The doctors explain to her that HYDRA hadn't been conditioning her as long as they did with another person. The effects would not take as long to disappear, but they do seem surprised by the speed of it. It doesn't make any sense until she encounters Thor.

"Are you faring better?" He had said.

She had nodded. The new skin could be felt when she stretched it, but otherwise, it was fine. And her memories? "I'm remembering a lot of things now too."

The demigod had beamed brightly. "It would appear that your light elf blood has helped you recover. I am glad." His expression turns somber. "I did not want to ask so soon, but Odin would like to see you."

"Odin? He's your dad, right?" Lately she had started recalling her time in an otherworldly jail with a green eyed man as her only…companion. The name Odin made her think of an old bearded man with an eye patch.

"Yes. The All Father has been acting oddly, but he tells me that he regrets imprisoning you." Even Thor looks confused as he says it. Corinne doubted Odin was the type to be quick to be sorry for anything. "I leave for Asgard after the celebrations. If you decide to come, simply tell Heimdall."

She had nodded absentmindedly, struck with the realization that there was yet another mystery in her life. Light elf. As if she didn't had enough to worry about.

Corinne finishes up looking at everything in the room and heads to the common floor. It's empty, and she further explores the other rooms.

A door slightly ajar reveals some sort of office and laboratory combination. Steve, Bruce, and another woman have their heads ducked looking at something. She approaches them quietly.

"…some kind of special wave transmitter."

"Looks simple."

"Many simple looking things are dangerous. Ah, Corinne Lin?" The woman straightens up and greets her with a nod. "I don't know if you remember. Maria Hill."

"Morning." Corinne smiles to the three of them. "What are you looking at?"

"Some tech we acquired from the HYDRA base. Actually, now that you're here, would you mind telling us what you think of this? Stark's too busy with his project for a consult."

Steven interjected at the same time as Bruce.

"Hill, I don't think she should-"

"She's still-"

"Sure." Corinne cuts them off. That same twinge of annoyance nags at her. "What is it?"

Maria holds the tuning fork up.

Corinne's world narrows.

She vaguely hears other people talking loudly as her breathing quickens. Her breaths are short and stuttered so that she barely gets enough air. Her chest and throat tightens as if a hand was suffocating her. There are tremors in her hands as she wraps her arms around herself, just staring wide eyed at the object.

Corinne doesn't realize that she had retreated until she feels a desk at her back. She thinks of surrounding herself with a shield, but she knows it's useless. She winces, already anticipating the pain. She couldn't protect herself against that thing.

The people's voices sound different from the ones she usually hears. Still, she curls into herself. Voices echo in her mind, but it's so real it's like she's reliving it. They stand in front of her, looking falsely sympathetic. Tiffany and Dr. List.

_"We want to save more people with the use of your force fields."_

_"Ms. Lin, will you help us?"_

"No!" Corinne shouted, eyes burning and voice desperate. "I won't help you."

_"Stupid girl."_

"Corinne." Hands are grasping her, shaking her. "Corinne."

She lashes out blindly in defense. "Kill me. Stop doing this, I won't help you. I'm not telling you  _anything_."

Strong arms wrap around her, effectively keeping her arms from moving. Her ear is pressed against a steady heartbeat.

Another presence is beside her, uttering soothing words. "You're safe. We won't hurt you. Breathe in, breathe out."

With the calm voice, she matches her breathing with the one holding her. Her own heartbeat manages to almost echo theirs, beat by beat.

The details of reality come to her slowly. The cold bite of a metal chair is not at her back. Instead, warmth surrounds her. It is not  _them_  who speak to her, but other people.

She looks up to see Steve is the one who's hugging her. To her side is Bruce. Murmurs come from just outside the door. The woman from before, Maria Hill, is at the door blocking the others.

"What happened? Hill, let us in."

"She was screaming."

"You know I can get past you, Maria."

"No. She's had a panic attack, Dr. Banner's got her, she needs space..."

"Hey, Corinne. You with us?" Bruce draws back her attention. He looks tense, to put it simply.

Her eyes slide to Steve, seeing the same angst and guilt.

She nods, unfeeling.

"Sorry." She croaks, throat raw from use. Her voice rattles a bit and she nearly cringes at how frail she sounds.

"Don't apologize." Steve says tightly, almost baring his teeth. His tone might have scared her, except it was clear none of it was directed at her. "You don't need to be sorry for something you can't control."

_I should be sorry._  He frowns to himself.

Something, a glass of water, is brought into her line of sight. "Drink it slowly." The doctor says, brown eyes genuinely kind as opposed to the grey ones that were anything but truthful .

_Not the other kind of doctor._  She thinks in relief as she sips the cool liquid.  _He's not List. Or Tiffany._

As she drinks, she feels her ears burn. She wishes the ground would just swallow her whole.

Steve gets the message and backs away hesitantly. It's quiet outside the door now, but the others' presence lingers.

"They used it to break through my shields." She says after a minute. Her voice is monotone, almost detached. She does this on purpose, because if she thought about it too much she'd get caught up in the memories again.

Maria looks at her. "Do you know who made this?"

Corinne shook her head.

"We should destroy it." Steve's voice is dark.

Corinne glances at his clenched fists, and places her hand over his without thinking. It feels like something she did for him as a friend from before.

"They probably have more. They had," she takes a deep breath, "a lot. Those were used to, uh, take me in on the airplane. I was kept in Sokovia with them because they weakened my shields..."

She trailed off as she noticed that the rest of the team had filed in. Expressions that matched Steve's and Bruce's were there. Guilt, pity, anger. Her show of her trauma left them speechless.

Corinne stood up and went out the door without looking at anyone in the eye.

* * *

She spent a long time on her floor before she got tired of it

"JARVIS, I'm going out. Please keep them off my trail for a while."

"Understood." The program said after a beat of hesitation. "Do be careful, Ms. Lin."

_Sentinel._

Right now, she was Sentinel. With her suit on, she sped and flew across the rooftops. She took in the noises and smell of the city. The breeze that blew at her face as she flew on a shield felt liberating.

Without knowing, she went farther than Manhattan to an entirely different neighborhood. The streets were emptier as the sky was dark, but some people still lurked.

_Where am I?_

Sounds of a struggle reach her ears. Many voices come from an alley in the form of grunts and shouts. She makes her way over cautiously. From her view on her floating shield, a group of burly men are fighting one teenaged boy. There are about six of them, and the boy is taking more hits then giving hits.

She pushes the men away with several shields, landing lightly in front of the boy. Golden disks and various other projectiles slam into them. Within minutes, they are bruised and too tired to move a muscle. Sentinel hadn't broke a sweat from her place.

"Are you alright?" She crouches. In the dim light, the boy looks scratched up, but otherwise he's fine.

He nods, wide eyed at what just happened. "Thank you."

"Where do you live? I'll take you home."

He swallows audibly, wariness in his eyes. She realizes then she must be an imposing figure, with her dark suit and the hood pulled over her eyes.

"You can trust me."

Seconds tick by, and he opens his mouth, before closing it again. His gaze is now directed on something behind her.

She whips around, shield already encasing the two of them.

There's nothing.

She puts her attention back on the teenager. He had right to be careful. With a sigh, Sentinel pulls down her hood. In the shadows of the alleyway, there was no way he could identify her later. She holds her hand out, eyes earnest.

He freezes with a sharp intake of breath. "Oh my god. Y-You saved-I don't know if you recognize me. My mom and I were there during the invasion, and you stopped a building from falling on us."

"I did?" She mutters to herself. She knew what had happened objectively from videos, but the details were blurry for this particular event. It was a bit farther back then her Asgardian imprisonment. Well, there was no running away from her past no matter where she went. Sentinel smiled faintly, trying to act like she understood. "Is your mom okay?"

"She's okay. You should, uh, I mean, do you want to see her? We never got to thank you because no one really knew who you were." He rattles out his address, and though she has clue how to get there, it doesn't matter as he leads them forward.

She must look uncomfortable, as he backtracks a bit.

"You don't have to, we just…We owe you our lives." He gazes up at her then, with such an open and trusting shine in his eyes that she blinks.

"You don't owe me anything." She tries to laugh it off.

He presses on. "I'm still alive. Please? We weren't even sure if you survived. Mom and I won't give away your identity or anything."

By now they've slowed down to a stop in front of an apartment building. The boy waits patiently for her response.

She shouldn't be here. She's not who he thinks she is. How could she pretend to be someone she's forgotten how to be. Would Corinne walk in or leave? "What's your name?"

"Frank."

"I'm Corinne." She smiles at Frank. There's still a smidgen of uncertainty lingering in her smile, but she nods towards the door. "Let's go, then?"

His grin is radiant.

His mom nearly collapses when she sees her son, and then nearly does it again when she sees Corinne behind him.

"I brought a friend home." Frank says nonchalantly.

His mom scowls at him and waves them in. "Come in, come in." She looks at Sentinel flabbergasted once the door is shut. "I don't even know where to start. Thank you so much."

"It's nothing." She shifts, glancing at the closed door. This was a bad idea. "I just did what I could."

"You're a hero." Frank's mom declares firmly. Her eyes gleam with unshed tears. Before she can move, the mother wraps her arms around her. "Thank you."

Sentinel, no,  _Corinne_ , hugs her back. "It's no problem."

_Thank you_ , she thinks, _for clearing my mind._

"So are you like an official Avenger, or what?" Frank interrupts.

She lets out a burst of laughter. "Yeah, I'm an Avenger."

At the core, she was. She might be a bit messed up with more than enough unpleasant memories to last a lifetime, but that was part of the job from the beginning. She would deal with it.

* * *

The common floor of Avengers Tower is full to the brim with people.

In a dress she took from the closet,  _her_  closet, she makes her rounds around the party. It fits her just right and flares slightly at her hips. She would be lying if she said she hadn't twirled in it a bit in her room. The dress lets her blend into just another person at this party.

For the most part, she just enjoys the atmosphere of the room. If she was doing what she felt right, then this was right. She didn't feel like she needed to be the life of this party. Once in a while she got introduced to some people, and she conversed briefly before continuing on. Small talk came to her fairly easily, and humorous people like Sam and Rhodey made the conversation flow even easier. Rhodey was particularly eager to share stories, and she was fine just listening.

The others glanced at her from time to time-she could feel their eyes on her. They seemed to relax once they saw how she was doing.

She was surprised at her own behavior too. The party was just a successful distraction, of course. Her days and nights were still affected by what had happened. But if anything, they made her be determined to make an even bigger effort to understand who she truly was. She knows she wants to protect people like Frank and his mom.

And the Avengers have the same idea.

She watched in amusement as they took turns to try to lift Thor's hammer. It was late now, and most of the guests had left, leaving the Avengers and company. Despite what she first believed of them, they were good people. Since the night she met Frank, she's decided she supports them.

_I do miss Wanda and Pietro though._  Was this considered betrayal if they all had misconceptions of the Avengers?  _They'll understand._ She stifled an embarrassed laugh at Bruce's impersonation of himself hulking out.  _None of these people are bad.  
_

"Corinne?"

Everyone looked at her expectantly, and she shook her head. "No thanks." She's had enough for one day.

They argued halfheartedly on the workings of the hammer. Finally, Thor shrugged and picked it up. "You're all not worthy."

A screech.

"No...How could you be worthy?" A voice resonated from behind her. A silver, mangled bot was limping towards them. Its eyes glowed almost murderously. "You're all killers."

* * *

**Ultron's here! I hope this chapter was up to par. I wanted to show the extent of the consequences of Corinne's capture. As always, I love hearing what you all think! What role do you think Corinne will play in AOU? What's going on with "Odin"?**

 


	14. Chapter 14

As soon as the robots burst through the walls, all hell broke loose.

The group scattered, pulling out their individual weapons. Corinne looked around in the disorder, frozen. She caught a flash of blue and gravitated towards it.

The doctor in blue, Dr. Cho, was the only civilian here without training. Corinne bounded over to her, grasping her arm.

"Do you know where the safe room is?" Corinne asked, slightly out of breath from both adrenaline and running.

Dr. Cho shook her head. She was clearly shaken and her fingers clamped down on Corinne's wrist in a death grip.

"You're going to be fine, I promise." Corinne pulled her along, to the elevator. She vaguely recalled the location of the safe room, reserved for emergencies like this.

She shielded the others from random blasts here and there as they ran. She was disoriented and confused, but focused her attention on Helen. Whatever this was, Corinne was going to worry about it later, when the civilian was safe.

"Press the lockdown button, behind the glass. It won't stop or open for anyone until you get to the underground level." Corinne heard herself explaining. She was so glad she had been curious enough to explore the Tower yesterday. "JARVIS? Can you-"

Corinne let out a grunt as she was blown away and landed on her back. There was no pain as the thin shield she had covering her skin took the brunt of it. Hurriedly, she got herself back on her feet and scanned in panic for Helen.

The geneticist was cornered by one of the bots, by the piano. Corinne covered her in shield just as Steve and Thor took care of the robot.

"That was dramatic!" Ultron exclaimed. "I'm sorry, I know you mean well. You just didn't think this through. You want to protect the world, but you don't want it to change. How is humanity saved if it's not allowed to...evolve? With these? These puppets? There's only one path to peace.

The Avengers' extinction."

Corinne exhaled heavily in relief as Thor put an end to Ultron's speech with his hammer.

"There are no strings on me." Ultron sang as oil rolled out of his head.

Goosebumps prickled on her skin at his creepy words. Only he could turn a children's song into nightmare material. She threw a shield disk through his neck to stop it.

It was enough that she had just decided which side she was on, but now there was an artificial intelligence out for their deaths.

* * *

Nobody was severely injured. Maria got some glass shards imbedded into her foot, but otherwise, it was all scrapes and bruises.

After the initial well founded frustration with Tony, they focused on finding a lead. It was a miracle to Corinne that their technology and internet was still functioning, despite Ultron's ability to be anywhere.

Intel told them Ultron had been taking resources with the rest of the legion, but also with other help. The Maximoffs. At first, Corinne had been surprised, but she realized the promise of the Avengers' extinction was exactly what they wanted from the very beginning. She wasn't sure who would feel more betrayed when they inevitably met face to face. She hoped she could convince them to see reason.

They killed Strucker, and that could be an encouraging sign if you looked at it at a specific angle.

She gazed at the photo of Strucker's dead body with a grim acceptance. The others watched her reaction closely like she would collapse emotionally any second.

He had not been a good man alive, especially to her. Corinne had not wanted him brutally killed, but a fleeting feeling of relief did go through her. She told herself she had a right to feel relieved.

They found Ulysses Klaw, the arms dealer with the vibranium, after some digging through actual paper files. As the others quickly went to suit up, but an arm got in her way.

"You got out of the med bay only a couple days ago." Bruce said, giving her a meaningful look.

She stopped herself from glowering, and pointed at Clint's departure. "Nobody's stopping him, and we were hurt on the same day. I'm cleared. I'm ready."

"I don't think he meant physically." Steve said from behind her. He had the same pointed look as Bruce. They had both been there when she had her panic attack, after all.

"You will see the twins." Bruce raised his eyebrows. The unspoken question hung in the air: Can you handle that?

"I-" She squared her shoulders. "I can do this. They're my friends, and they're just making a mistake with Ultron. If anything, it's best to have me there so I can persuade them." Hopefully.

Steve reached out then retracted his hand. He pretended he hadn't instinctively reached out to her and nodded. "I, we, only wanted to be sure you were okay."

Her indignant gaze softened, and she smiled. "Thank you."

* * *

Wanda found it easier and easier to show people their fears, as Ultron continuously made her do it. So when she rendered Ulysses' men useless, it took almost no effort on her part.

"The enhanced. Strucker's prized pupils... Where is the other pupil?" The bearded man grinned at them, unfazed by their powers. Pietro willed himself not to act rashly at the blatant condescension he showed them.

"She is busy." Pietro answered in a clipped tone.

"Or is she with the enemy?" He waggled his brows.

_She will be back._  They thought as the man went on about his fear of deep sea fish.

Ultron will accept her, despite her connections with the Avenger. He had agreed, and even encouraged, Sentinel's return.

" _They will be weakened without a shield_ ," he had said, " _much easier to put them into extinction._ "

Wanda pursed her lips, patience wearing thin. The flippant way this man spoke to them grated on her nerves. "We did not come here to talk about her. Or cuttlefish. We have a deal for you."

Ulysses scoffed and stood up slowly. "I only deal...with the man in charge."

The "man in charge" showed up, like he wanted.

The shattering of the glass was dramatic as usual, but Ultron got his vibranium. The precious metal in his hands, he paid the man in return. Until he said the wrong thing.

When the robot literally disarmed the man, Wanda and Pietro shared a look. His gasps of pain echoed as they cooled their expressions. They had to ignore it. This was all part of the plan.

"Stark is, he's a sickness!" Ultron roared in anger.

"Ah, Junior. You're gonna break your old man's heart."

They turned to see the very people they were meant to destroy.

Excluding one.

Sentinel stood next to them, alive and well. The twins let some relief visibly wash over them before focusing on the task on hand. They didn't let themselves meet her pleading eyes. This was their time to take revenge, and clearly Sentinel was confused again.

They would speak later.

Ultron's and Stark's banter ended, beginning the fight. As they clashed with each other, the others dealt with the other robots and Ulysses' men.

Corinne was defending her teammates when she was lifted off her feet and tugged. She blinked and she saw that she had been moved into an alcove of pipes, with the culprit in front of her.

"You look better." Pietro said hurriedly. There wasn't much time, and the sounds of the fight went on as he spoke. "Once this is finished, come with us."

"I…" She was at a lost for words. Corinne have had a feeling this would happen, but never thought of exactly what to say.

"They have tricked you again. Think, Sentinel." He said firmly. "Remember what List told us?"

She stiffened at the name. Inhaling shakily, she shook her head. "List lied. Wanda knew he was hiding something, and she was right. He was the one who brainwashed me. Pietro, I swear. The Avengers are not the enemy."

Pietro scowled. "How do you know they aren't lying?"

"They have proof of my life before HYDRA. That journal? It is mine. My name is Corinne Lin." She told him earnestly. She sounded more sure than she had of anything back in Sokovia, and Pietro reluctantly believed her.

"HYDRA might have been…a mistake, but he is not. Ultron is going to make the world better." Pietro gave her an unwavering, determined look. "Please don't be on the wrong side."

She glanced out, and stopped a shot from hitting Black Widow with a shield. Corinne looked back at Pietro sadly. "I'm not."

She blinked, and he was gone.

"Completely disillusioned." Pietro murmured to his sister for a few seconds before speeding away, punching Captain America in the jaw.

Wanda glanced at Sentinel, where she was beheading the Ultron bots with sharp disks. The woman also got rid of the guns of the goons. Wanda breathed in sharply. It stung to see her helping Stark.

A robotic voice interrupted her train of thought. "Time to play some mind games."

With no hesitation, she set to bringing out their greatest fears. Everything went smoothly until she got to the archer. The man had stuck an arrow onto her forehead and given her an irritating, throbbing headache. It ebbed away and she waved off Pietro's concerns.

"I'm over it. I want...I want to finish the plan. I want the big one." She stared at the doctor where he was across the water.

"You can't. Hulk will destroy so much when he's released." A voice rang out. Sentinel had followed them somehow, on her shield. She knew there was no other way to shake her teammates out of Wanda's spell, but to make her friends see the truth. "He will wreck homes, families' homes. He will hurt people, if you do this."

"Sentinel." Wanda's message was clear. Don't make me do this.

Bruce had noticed her standing among the twins and had walked farther away from the safety of the Quinjet. Corinne shook her head at him and his unease, trying to communicate that he retreat.

"If you look into my mind, you will understand everything. I know you know this, so please don't do this to him."

What Corinne said was true. Wanda prided herself in being able to read people, even without telepathy. She had an dreadful inkling that Sentinel was right. It scared her.

"Our parents are still dead. The Avengers can't bring them back, no matter how good they are." She said at last. Her fingers moved just the slightest bit, and Sentinel's eyes closed.

"Is she living her nightmares?" Pietro exclaimed, catching the limp Sentinel and lowering her to the ground. A conflicted expression was on his face. He agreed wholeheartedly with Wanda, but he did not agree with subjecting Sentinel with her terrors.

"Only sleeping." Wanda's eyes flashed red, and then she stumbled back with her eyes wide. "She has terrors in her sleep either way. Of List." She glanced back at the jet where Dr. Banner was, mouth twisting into a grimace. "We need to take care of him first."

* * *

"Hey, wake up."

Someone shaking her shoulders startled her awake, and she scanned her surroundings blearily. Hawkeye crouched beside her, brows furrowed in worry.

"That was easier than I expected. The others…they still can't break out of it. You good?" He asked as she got up.

She nodded. "I think she just made me sleep."

Though it made no difference, she thought to herself.

Her mind went back to what happened leading up to this moment, and she looked at Hawkeye desperately. "Please tell me Bruce didn't…"

"Hulk's out. Stark's trying to contain him-"

"I'm going." She hopped onto the already ascending shield. "Where are they?"

"Are you sure?"

"I'm back up." The words slipped out of her mouth, and she smiled at a distant memory. Of flying alien whales, portals, and giant holes in the sky. This time it was robots out for the extinction of them.

With all these differences, she was still back up.

* * *

True to her predictions, Hulk and Iron Man were battling it out, with no care for the destruction that trailed behind them. Sentinel was kept busy shielding civilians from falling heavy debris. Chunks of cement, metal, and even cars were being tossed all over the place onto the vulnerable crowds. By the time she was close enough to the two, they had already downed a tower.

"Hulk!" She yelled as she made sure none of the guns pointed at him would be fired. Her arms were raised as she formed her own VERONICA over him. "Stop, look around you."

Hulk's eyes found hers and he grunted in confusion. She relaxed a bit at his hesitation upon seeing her face. She had removed the hood obscuring her features hoping it would deter him. He observed the city and a look of realization dawned on his face at the wreckage. An expression close to regret crossed his face as he met her eyes again. He noticed the heavily armed men behind her and roared. His fists banged against her barrier, making her wince. That was going to hurt later.

"Tony." She shouted as she dropped the shield.

He gave the final blow, ending the fight.

* * *

When Hulk shrank back to Bruce, she had him in a golden bubble and levitated them back to the Quinjet. Clint had moved the others back too. Those who had their heads meddled by Wanda were understandably down. As the jet took off, everyone kept to themselves, too consumed by thoughts caused by having seen their personal horrors.

"Here," Corinne handed a blanket to Bruce's shivering form. She nodded at his grateful response, and retreated to her own corner of the Quinjet.

There was nothing she could say or do that would stop the blank stares everyone had. She knew better than anyone that some things were not meant to be just shared and could not be fixed so easily by comforting words.

She stayed quiet, letting herself reflect on everything that happened. Her plan to bring Wanda and Pietro to their senses did not go as she wanted. She should have suspected as much. Her words against the trauma they faced and the vengeance burning in them? She felt naïve. They were probably miles away now, and she doubted the next time they encountered each other would be any better.

They landed at Clint's safe house. It was a lovely white house in the middle of a vast field. Tall trees lined the edge of the property. It wasn't exactly what popped into her mind when Corinne thought of a safe house, but it was a welcoming environment.

She absentmindedly introduces herself to Clint's family and excuses herself. She's not the only one to do so. The team separates, shaken by hallucinations and disheartened by the abundance of setbacks. Corinne passes by Steve as she treks outside, to the trees.

"Where are you going?" He asks, wood ready to be cut into logs in his arms.

"Feeling like a climb." She says, tilting her head to the forest.

She turns and continues to walk, but the concern practically radiates off of him, so she faces him again. Tapping her com, she grins weakly. "I'll let you know if anything happens. Just need some time to think."

Again, the motions feel familiar as she scales the tree she picked. She has a brief recollection of being particularly determined as a child during tag. The tree's sturdy, and tall enough to let her scan a fair amount of the ground below. Settling securely against the trunk so that she wouldn't fall, she lets the nagging buzz take it over.

The pain had been at the back of her mind ever since she boarded the Quinjet. Sometime before HYDRA, she had learned to keep it from overcoming her, putting a lid on it in a sense. Now, in private, she let the aftershocks take over her senses.

All of the action today was more strenuous than she was used to. Hulk's blows to her energy fields did not ease the paralyzing agony either. As the last of the waves washed over her, she sighed tiredly.

It was easier this way to let it happen away from everyone else. Corinne did not like having them worry more than they already did about her. She knew no way of how to stop it or lessen it as of now, so she had to endure it.

"Hurts, doesn't it?" Someone she's heard before interrupted. "If only you knew how to get rid of it."

Her hand goes out to the tree to stabilize herself as she jerks in surprise. Across from her is the same man that had been awaiting her when she awoke in Avengers Tower. Insolent smirk, smug demeanor, and an obvious fondness for green and dramatics.

"Loki?" She breathes out uncertainly.

_But that can't be right._

He grins, pleased. "Ah, so you finally remember me."

"Saw you in a dream." She utters, still in disbelief.

He raises one eyebrow, eyes jokingly suggestive.

Corinne rolls her eyes without thinking. She feels like it was something she did a lot with him. "Nope, not going there. Memory dream. We were in jail together, then you had a sword go through you. So unless I'm hallucinating, you've come back to life."

Loki shrugs and leans back leisurely. "I cannot answer that."

A golden, sharp projectile flies at him. He doesn't dodge it, even though he could. It goes through him like he's a mirage.

She stares at him for a couple beats until she sighs. "You know what? I don't care if you're a ghost or a figment of my imagination. I have enough to worry about. Whatever you're here for, make it quick."

"I am actually here to help you find this…Ultron."

"Why would you-" Corinne paused. "What do you get in return?"

"Same deal I offered after our first one. Your allegiance in my time of need, and I give you magical training in return." Loki replied casually, as if he had no ulterior motives. "It's quite easy. I'll just guide you through the process of opening your mind to other applications of your power."

Her lack of an unenthusiastic response is evident enough. Without gracing her hallucination as much as a glance, she starts descending the tree.

"The twins."

Corinne becomes motionless, whipping her head to regard Loki. "What?"

"You can find them if you really wanted to." He holds her gaze confidently, as if sure she would accept.

It is tempting. Corinne bites her lip as she considers it. It would benefit the whole team to find them and Ultron. Lives could be saved, and it be over so quickly. If she could find them, she could try to stop them...again.

Her hopeful expression fell. As determined as she was to bring them back, there was little chance they would come around this time. Not only on her word, anyway. Through all her disappointment, she had realized that only they could make the decision themselves. Who was she, a friend who had only known them for several months, to have the nerve to be like this? She had not gone through what they went through.

"No thanks." Corinne smiles at Loki.

He dissipates into the thin air, leaving her wondering. Was this some twisted method her brain had come up with to help her cope? A phantom visiting the living? Or was he alive, contradicting her memories, and hiding away somewhere?

Corinne walks back into the house, pensive the entire way. From the house, she can hear the bubbly laughter of children and her team conversing.

* * *

**Hope this wasn't too rushed! I'm trying to balance not repeating the movie but still having it understandable? Thoughts?**

**On a sadder note, school is starting up soon. I'll try to squeeze another chapter in before that. Good luck to those starting soon or have already started!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Oops. "Mini hiatus"?**

**I was so annoyed when Whedon wrote Natasha thinking she was monster for being infertile. Like? That is so wrong**

**Anyway I was stuck on whether or not to change stuff and ended up doing so for whatever I thought was kind of out of character cough NATASHA cough…**

**Recap since it's been so long:  The twins stay with Ultron, Corinne gets a visit from Loki (fake?real?). She refuses the deal for magic, again.  
**

* * *

Luckily, Corinne did not have to regret her decision.

They had figured out what Ultron was after, and they made plans to intercept. With a vibranium enhanced body, Ultron would be much stronger.

Corinne said goodbye to the Barton family before going back to being Sentinel. Laura was sweet, and the kids were just as nice. They even gifted her a picture they had doodled. She smiled widely and thanked them, promising something in return next time she came by to visit.

Holding the art piece carefully like a prize, she turned around to see Natasha. Natasha was looking fondly at the children, faint smile on her face.

"They're adorable." Corinne commented lightly. She lifted her gift to the redhead. "And so talented. Almost makes me want some mini versions of myself running around."

Natasha hummed in agreement. "It's tempting."  _Like love._  "My life's not exactly cut out for this…" She paused, glanced at Corinne, and continued hesitantly. "And I'm not able to do it."

Corinne's eyes searched hers as her mind connected the dots. Black Widows weren't exactly trained for just missions. They were Black Widows for life, and surely the Red Room would do everything to ensure their loyalty. Finally, she nodded for a lack of other action.

"Used to think, for a while, I was a monster." Natasha's mouth quirked up in twisted humor. "I know better now."

Stunned by the level of personal information shared, Corinne felt the urge to share her own to make up for it. "My mom was sterile. I'm, uh, adopted. So there's always that option, if you want…"

Corinne was almost afraid to see her reaction. It was a sensitive topic. When she faced the former assassin, she was met with a nonchalant Natasha.

"We'll have to see, then." Natasha shrugged and said at last, going out the door. The jet was already thrumming, ready to go. It was time to do their jobs.

* * *

Steve and Corinne went in for Cho, steps quick but quiet. With a sinking feeling they noticed that their way was way too easy. Evidently, Ultron had left. Some other doctors were lying throughout the facility, but Corinne found with relief that they had only been stunned to unconsciousness.

Dr. Cho was not so lucky.

The doctor was slumped against the wall when they found her, breathing shallowly. Her eyes retained a bit more light when they landed on the two Avengers.

"He's uploading himself into the body." Dr. Cho told them urgently.

"Where?" The captain stood up, ready to run after Ultron.

She recaptured his attention. "The real power is inside the cradle...the gem, its power is uncontrollable. You can't just blow it up. You have to get the cradle to Stark."

"First I have to find it." Steve muttered, conflicted.

"Go."

"I'll stay with her until she gets medical attention." Corrine said, placing a hand comfortingly on Helen's shoulder. The bleeding was mostly around her shoulder, but a light sheen of sweat was her forehead. "I'll find you later."

Steve nodded, and Corinne was almost taken back at how easily he trusted her and her decisions. He sprinted off, telling Clint and Natasha what had happened and their orders. The sound of his steps soon disappeared, leaving Corinne alone with Helen.

"Is there anything I can do?" Corinne observed the room, looking for some first aid kit. She doubted she could do much for the wound, but she could try.

A flicker of amusement passed through Dr. Cho's features. "No, it's okay. The paramedics will be here soon." Her face darkened. "The stone...it's not anything like I've seen before."

"Where did he get it, do you know?"

"He took it from the scepter."

_Loki's scepter, the Chitauri's scepter._ "It's...alien."

"My tech detected huge amounts of power coming from it." She shook her head. "It's so small, but it's like thousands of suns are contained in it. Golden."

Corinne hushed her, seeing her dwindling breath. She smiled as confidently as she could. "Don't worry about it, we'll handle it."

* * *

As soon as the paramedics had Helen, Corinne flew out to the highway Clint instructed her to go to. She crouched low to keep her balance on her shield as she sped through cars and trucks. In under a minute, she spotted them.

Ultron threw Steve off, causing him to hang onto the front of the truck precariously. His shield clattered to the road, and the moving truck put rapidly put distance between them. Sentinel landed just in time to block a blast from hitting Steve. A barrage of her disks hit at the robot, no dents were made but it made him stagger back.

"Do you know why I asked you to join in the beginning?" Ultron drawled, getting back to his impressive height.

She didn't grant him an answer. At her hand, something was forming.  _Just a little more time_ , she thought as golden light warped into something circular but larger than her disks,  _keep up the monologue._

"I thought...out of all of them, you have done the least damage. All of them have somehow killed someone, but you…" He caught one of her disks. "You're a clean slate."

The robot flicked his wrist, throwing the disk and sending her reeling back to dodge her own weapon.

"But then I thought, surely no one can be this clean." He lunged forward as she was leaning back, vulnerable. She leaped to the side and could feel his punch miss her by just a hair. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Captain America climb back onto the semitrailer. "I checked your files again, and I was right. How is your mother?"

"Lucky enough not to be here to listen to you." She glowered at the smug robot, but brushed it off as she made eye contact with Steve. With a grunt, she sent the now fully solid shield to her team mate.

Steve caught it and swiftly dealt a blow to Ultron. It bounced back like the original, into his awaiting hand.

"Feels almost like the same." Steve shouted over the noises of metal and force field. The feel and weight of it was familiar, and it would be identical if it was not gold.

Corinne formed jagged dagger like projectiles and rained it down on Ultron. She grinned as she ducked a laser beam. "Perfect."

"Sorry guys, but I've got a delivery coming up." Natasha said dryly from their comms.

A motorcycle rumbled next to their truck, and the spy perched on it flung Captain America's actual shield up. He received it and struck Ultron in one fluid motion.

The robot hurled the super soldier and made him smash into a car. Ripples were also made on the road that propelled all the other cars into the air.

Sentinel cursed, bubbling the vehicles to lessen the impact on the passengers on instinct. She zipped through to check their well being, and luckily found no major injuries. As she was distracted by this, the two took the fight onto a train.

She joined the fight again, and things were looking bad for Steve. As she was about to retaliate, silver and blue whizzed by Ultron, making him lose his balance. Metal manipulated by red magic barred his movement. Corinne smiled widely at the two of them, and they sent her their own smiles before directing their attention on the enemy.

"Please. Don't do this." Ultron said.

"What choice do we have?" Wanda replied.

Something akin to frustration flashed in Ultron's red eyes. A blast to the front of the train, and he escaped through the side door.

"I lost him, he's heading your way!"

"Nat!" Clint suddenly shouted in their ears. "Cap, do you see Nat?"

"If you have the package, get it to Stark!" Steve commanded urgently, though indecision flashed through his eyes at leaving his friend behind. "Go!"

"Do you have eyes on-"

"Which direction did they go?"

Steve turned around and found that Corinne had disappeared. A figure was levitating in the air, scanning the skies.

"West!"

Sentinel squinted, breath catching, and then she was a blur. "See them. I'm in pursuit." She willed her energy field to go the fastest it could go, eyes focused on the silver and red in the distance.

She went after them over oceans and countries, absentmindedly noting that the climate had changed to a much cooler temperature. Instead of green, brown, or the grey of a city, the land was white.

Where are we now? They had passed over Japan, China... Russia? No, it's-

Her eyes widened as a barricade of Ultron's bots rose up to meet her. She slowed down to prevent slamming into the hard metal. Natasha and her captor continued getting smaller and smaller as a dot. Corinne let out an impatient exhale.

The bots started shooting at her, and she was soon preoccupied with blocking and attacking back. A calculated throw of a shield here and there made them drop like flies, but almost as soon as one was down, another took its place. She felt the desperation and panic rising as each second ticked by.

Several minutes later, the bots backed away from her abruptly. They flew off into different directions, done distracting her. It worked. Now she couldn't see them at all, and the fight had messed with her sense of direction. Even if she followed their original route, they could have changed course.

Seems like something he would do after a distraction. It's hopeless.

"Corinne?" Her comm crackled to life. Steve. "Sounded like a struggle. Status?"

_You okay?_

"I'm sorry." She let herself descend onto the ground, where she sat in the snow. "Ultron's bots intercepted, there were so many and they-I let him get away. I should have been faster-"

"It's fine, Natasha probably escaped by now because she's Natasha. But your status?"

She glanced down at her body. Scorch marks on her suit, but otherwise... "No injuries."

"Good. Stay put, we're sending a jet your way."

She hummed and fell back onto the soft snow. Her eyes drooped in exhaustion when an irritatingly familiar figure appeared beside her.

"You should accept my offer."

An irritated breath that was nearly a growl. "Loki, I'm never going to accept."

"Not even at the risk of losing the Widow? Do you know what Ultron has planned for her?"

"I don't know." She admitted unwillingly.

"Her death would be on you, more than anyone."

Her heartbeat thudded loudly in her ears. As much as she hated this, he was right. She knew from personal experience what can happen to one as a captive. Her hands clenched at her sides at the thought of Natasha being in pain or dying. It was odd to feel protective of someone so quickly. In the brief time she's been with the Avengers, hidden fondness had resurfaced expectantly.

And just like with Wanda and Pietro, she would do anything to protect them.

She sighed, but turned to Loki. "I'll-"

"Did you people really think I'll be gone so easily?" A husky, slightly breathless voice said.

_Natasha_. A large grin broke out on Corinne's face, and she gave Loki a victorious look . He frowned, and disappeared in a mist of green.

* * *

"Ultron put me in a rickety old cell. He didn't even bother to confiscate my gear." Natasha scoffed. "I've gotten out of worse situations. He and his legion flew off somewhere, the "comet" or something. I got out, found some tech in the city, modified it, and contacted you guys. The only hard part was keeping out of sight of any cameras."

Corinne nodded as the spy continued to mutter in amusement and slight disbelief.

The elevator ascended smoothly, and through the glass they could see the glittering city below. It felt disconcerting to see everything from far away, looking like nothing had happened.

They arrived on the top floor, and all eyes were immediately on them. Clint ran up to Natasha and gave her a hug, whispering in her ear. She laughed lightly at what he said.

Corinne stood aside, feeling two stares boring into her.

She connected gazes with the twins hesitantly, small smile on her face. Wind blew her hair before she felt sturdy arms wrap around her. A pattering of footsteps later another pair of arms joined the embrace.

"I'm sorry." Pietro murmured, voice muffled by her hair.

"We're sorry." Wanda said.

Corinne shook her head, eyes more teary but she didn't care. "I'm just glad you're both here."

Steve's loud voice interrupted the moment.

They quickened over to where he was, and saw him arguing with Tony. Cho's casket was in the middle of the lab, but what made her stomach drop was all the cables connected to the active monitors.

"Bruce, what are you trying to?…" She began to ask while Pietro unplugged everything.

But just as the squabble's volume rose, people starting to try to hurt each other, Thor landed heavily onto the casket. They could only stand and watch as he summoned thunder to strike at it. For a moment afterwards, it was quiet.

Then the cradle erupted.

As the humanoid knelt on top of it, with its head bowed down, she noticed the yellow gem embedded on its forehead.

_I've seen this stone before._  Was her only thought just before they threw their self at Thor.

* * *

**Hoping to finish AOU next chapter because I really want to get into Corinne's origins. Rewriting a movie is boring to me as you can probably tell by the worse writing. Afterwards, I'll figure something out until Civil War's out. I'll be honest though, I doubt my updates will be frequent enough to get to that point. School and work, am I right?**

09.26.15.


	16. Chapter 16

**On time update to make up for my summer-early fall absence :)**

* * *

Corinne was prepared to bubble the alien looking man, but Thor had told them to stop.

As he turned back towards them, politely apologizing in the voice of JARVIS, her confusion intensified. She couldn't help staring at the golden gem at the center of his face.

_Where would I have even seen this? Hadn't it been trapped inside the Chitauri scepter for ages?_

Some part of her told her to relax and not worry. There was nothing untrustworthy about this new person, especially with  _that_  on his forehead. Why she trusted the gem was yet another mystery. Seeing the stone incited feelings of ease in her. But the rational part of her screamed at her to stay vigilant. Why would she even think to trust him?

Luckily the android, Vision, did not attack them. The group of supers relunctantly accepted Vision as one of them. Mostly out of hope that he would put an end to all this.

She, perhaps out of all of them, wanted this to be over with the most. There had barely been any time since she escaped HYDRA before Ultron emerged. She had been living from task to task for the past week, and while she was successfully distracted, she knew it'll only hold for so long. Corinne acknowledged she wanted to protect as an Avenger, but there was so much she needed to recover from too.

And so many questions about herself she needed answers for.

Corinne had time to converse with her reunited friends as they got ready to go to Sokovia.

"You look good." Corinne gestured at Wanda's new jacket. It was made of leather, but she was sure it had some sort of protective layer.

Wanda smiled, eyes darting about. "I do not feel as good."

"Is something wrong?" Whatever it was must have happened during the argument. Pietro appeared at Wanda's side as she spoke.

The woman shook her head. "I am fine, but…nervous. Everyone looks so ready."

It was then Corinne realized that it was the twins' first mission with the Avengers instead of against them. A lot of the Avengers still distrust or hate them too. She would nervous, especially because of their powerful enemy.

"I'm nervous too. I always am. I just try to focus on what I'm supposed to do." She admitted. They had been making their way to the Quinjet, their three minutes used up. But Corinne stopped and looked at the two of them in the eyes. "I won't let anyone die. I'll make sure with my own life."

They looked back at her solemnly, knowing every word she said was true. Pietro managed a forced laugh, though he agreed strongly in his mind.

"So serious!" He slung his arm around Corinne's shoulders amiably. "Come on, let's hurry before the Captain scolds us."

* * *

Corinne was tasked with protecting the Sokovians as they evacuated when she felt the lurch beneath her feet. Then, it was shielding them and destroying as many robots as humanely possible.

It was an endless, seemingly hopeless, pattern of projecting energy field after energy field. She never gets the chance to catch her breath. Ultron's minions kept on coming, and there was no place for the civilians to go to. There seemed like there was no way to stop the city from being a meteor either.

Her energy was depleting; she could feel it. Her determination would not run out, but her stamina would. How long would it take for her to reach out to shield someone from a fatal shot, only to not be able to summon a force field?

She needed to find another way.

"Tony, you can't touch the anti-gravs?" Corinne shouted into her comm over the commotion.

She guarded the backs of some retreating civilians. Her movements were razor sharp as she cut the attacking bots into halves. It angered her that the robots would go after the people as their backs turned.

She could hear his repulsors blasting rapidly on his side. "Nuh-uh. They'll flip and Sokovia will go straight down, fast."

"What if I don't touch the anti-gravs?"

"What?"

"I've got an idea."

She floated suspended right under the floating city, just out of reach of the flares. Her hands waved as a golden net formed at the bottom of Sokovia. Soon enough, it covered every inch but the thrusters. Corinne widened her stance as her hands curled into fists, almost as if she was grasping a rope.

"Is it a good idea?" Steve interrupted in his captain voice. She could almost hear the gears in his head turning, strategically calculating the risks.

"I'm pulling this piece of land down, Ultron's tech not touched. Tell me how it goes." She said quickly before taking a deep breath, and pulling.

For a split second she blacked out from the straining effort. She recovered quickly and continued to mentally will her energy field and what was attached to it down.

"Friday says it's slowing down by three percent from reaching the height Ultron wants. It's working, but not by a lot." Tony reported.

"I'll take it." She gasped out. Her mind felt like the entire weight of Sokovia was trying to crush it. "We need every second to get the civilians off this place somehow or stop the device."

"How long can you hold it for?" Hawkeye inquired, the thwip thwip of arrows whizzing through the air.

"Um…"

"How long?" Their captain pressed.

"No clue. Finding out today, I guess." She halfheartedly joked. Above her, she faintly hears the whir of a giant engine.

Steve's voice was low with his seriousness. "Don't overexert yourself for this. I- _We_  still need you for this mission."

She made a vague noise of acknowledgement, too preoccupied with her load. "Yes sir."

"SHIELD's arrived. They've got lifeboats." Someone told her briefly. "Evacuating the civilians now. Hang in there!"

Several long minutes pass as Sentinel holds her position. She keeps her thoughts on the people still on this island. The Sokovians, the Avengers, everyone.

She has to hold on. Even if it gives only a couple more minutes for people to evacuate, it would still save several people. She wants to hold on. Her body and mind disagree though. They protest under the weight of the task, begging for her to stop. Too much magic. At some point she feels sickly delirious, dizzy.

Just when she thinks she has to let go, someone gives the orders.

"Ultron's going for the key. Sentinel, there's no point in slowing it down anymore. We need everyone at the key, keeping it away from him!"

She releases her pull with relief and flies back onto Sokovia. Corinne ignores her sway as she does so, too tired to care if her balance is a bit off. She joins them at the church, where they fight back to back in a circle. It's a vicious fight, where reflexes and all their training come into play. They protect not only the key, but also each other.

Then, the worst of the robots are gone.

Sentinel goes off in her own direction to sweep for any last stragglers as they split up. She shudders at the thought of abandoning anyone here when they blow it up, and searched keenly.

She finds a family trapped here, a confused and concussed straggler there. They are all sent to a life boat efficiently and Corinne finds herself breathing a bit easier.

Things were finally turning up now, despite the distressing situation only moments ago.

However, it's the onslaught of gunshots and silence afterwards in her comm that alerts Corinne something's wrong.

"What's happened?" She asks after a beat, knowing she wouldn't like the answer. Her head is painfully pounding, and she knows her aftershocks will be killer tonight.

It's Clint who answers. "Pietro's been shot…he's gone."

She stills in the middle of the burning city.

"No." She murmured, horrified. "He's so fast, he couldn't have…"

Sentinel hurried to where they are. She would remain disbelieving until she saw it for herself. Even as her head feels dangerously light, she flies as fast as she can. Sure enough, she sees the prone body of her friend. Unmoving.

She lands on her knees heavily, hands checking his vitals. Her voice sounded hollow as she shook her head. "Please, please…"

No pulse, no breaths.

_He really is dead._  She gazes at the bloody exit gun wounds aghast, bile rising up in her throat.  _Pietro's dead. I have shielding powers that could have easily blocked these bullets, but I wasn't here. Now it's too late-there's nothing to do._

Clint, Steve, and the Sokovian people sat some distance away, sad and guilty. She just barely notices the figure sitting to the far right. The demigod had shown up, staring at her wordlessly. She knows what he is here for.

_Not nothing._

This time, there was no hesitation in her decision. "I'll do it. I accept."

The others gave her weird looks.

"Who is she talking to?" Steve muttered to Clint.

Loki nods, surprisingly not as smug as she thought he would be.

"How do I do it?" She says almost hysterically.  _He's dead and it's all my fault, everything-_

"That thought that drives the power behind your force fields, direct it to him. Focus all your energy into bringing him back." Loki begins, moving closer so that he's next to her. The other people do not see him as he phases through them like a phantom.

"What do I do with my hands? Is there some kind of motion I'm supposed to do?"

"Do what you feel is right. Quick, before he's gone completely. That would be a waste." For once he looks like he means it. And he does. What a waste of a power it would be.

She set one hand gently over his head and other on his heart. Her eyes shut as she tried to do what Loki told her to do. Doubt ate at her thoughts, but her desperation pushed it away soon enough.

Someone like Pietro couldn't just die. He was so kind and enthusiastic. Always moving somehow, fidgeting if he has to stay still. He was still so alive in her mind.

With her resolve not to lose him, a switch deep in the recesses of her mind flipped.

Intricate lines began to appear on her skin, a golden glow emitting from them. The others realized with sick fascination that they were her veins. The same characteristic gold light seemed to seep into Pietro where her hands were, and spread throughout him. They watched with bated breath as Pietro's own veins absorbed that light.

Corinne almost halted when she felt the smallest movement underneath her. The rise of his chest! She made herself keep going, hopeful but scared of losing progress. Her breathing was shallow with either excitement or fatigue, but she pushed on. Far off, she can hear a rumbling explosion. Sokovia.

Wanda, who had arrived with Vision, jolted suddenly. Her eyes were bright and scarlet with magic, a vast difference from the bleak stare she had when she had seen Pietro dead. " _Pietro_. I-I sense his mind again!"

The gold gradually ebbed away, and Corinne removed her shaky hands from him. Superheroes and civilians let out their own sounds of surprise as the once dead man opened his eyes. He squinted in the sunlight as if he had simply just woken up in the morning. His confusion was apparent as he took in all the attention on him.

"What the-"

His words were cut short as his sister bombarded him into a tight embrace. Everyone cast their gazes away at the private moment.

Corinne trembled in happiness, her vision blurred. "I did it." She whispered in slight disbelief, turning to her teacher. "I actually did it."

A peculiar smile, almost indulgent or even praising, formed itself on Loki's face. "You did."

The team was in varying emotional states as the impossible as achieved. Someone had been brought back from the dead.

A smack resounded through the room, followed by a small  _ow_.

The culprit, Clint, grinned wetly at Pietro. "What, you didn't see that coming? Don't ever do that again, kiddo." He gave his victim a tight half hug.

Tony's eyes blinked away the enroaching tears. He glanced at where Corinne was staring seemingly into space. "Cor here needs a psych eval when we get back."

Steve nodded from his lean against the life boat wall. Now that the wonder of her new ability dissipated, his attention was back on the oddity. His gaze hardened at the empty space. "Something's not right."

The invisible Loki smirked.

In the background, Wanda had been explaining to her twin what had happened, and understanding dawned in Pietro's expression. He faced Corinne with a weak grin.

"I did not know you could do this." He said, arms encircling her.

"I didn't either." She replied, laughing unsteadily. Her breaths were still shallow and uneven. "I'm so happy you're back."

"Bor- _Corinne_ , you need to-" Loki began to say with a frown.

Pietro noticed her unsteadiness too. "Are you okay?"

"Just tired." She blinked heavily at the four Pietros in front of her.  _Huh_. A sudden wave of exhaustion rolled over her and black dotted her vision.

Pietro felt her slump into him. "Hey, don't fall asleep yet…" He shook her slightly, and she smiled abashedly.

"Oops." Corinne stepped away from him, and the rest of the people saw her obviously wavering stance.

"I think you should sit down." Someone suggested worryingly. She heard their voice through cotton stuffed ears, she noted with amusement.

Everyone's hearts dropped with her as she fell to the side.

Pietro was the first to get to her, his movements slower than usual but still superhuman fast. He stopped her collapse, but as his hands moved over her, he gaped.

"She's not breathing at all."

* * *

**Is anyone dressing up as an Avenger for Halloween? I think I might go as Wanda, since it's so easy. Black dress, red jacket, boom.**

**So, Corinne's dead. Maybe. If she is, her last words were pretty lame, I gotta say. Bonus kudos (that don't mean anything but pride maybe) for those who can remember what she said!**

**Hope you liked it! Or not. Let me know if you wanna ;)**

**10.02.15.**


	17. Chapter 17

**I'm on a roll!**

* * *

She felt cold and numb at first.

Then, a burning sensation started in her chest. It was scorching, almost unbearable. Just as she thought the uncomfortable heat would end her, it branched out. Soon, she could feel the tips of her fingers and toes.

Her hands immediately clawed at her chest as soon as they gained feeling. This fire near her heart was too much. It was burning her from the inside out. She needed it out, needed to shake it off or something-

"Relax, please. It is over so do not worry." Cool hands gently urged her shoulders back. Her eyes searched frantically at the unfamiliar voice. With her fear driven hyper awareness, she took in her surroundings.

She was outside,  _no_ , inside. High arches of white stone made up the room them were in. It was a circular kind of arrangement, with nature creeping in in the form of vines and flowers. The occasional tree branch from the abundant looking forest peeked into the sanctuary too. Everything looked radiant and lively.

Her chain of thoughts must have shown on her face as the speaker spoke up again.

"You are alive, and not in what many Midgardians believe they will go when they are not."

That didn't relieve her at all. Instead, it made her more apprehensive of the new face. They were definitely not human. The constant colour shifting eyes and sharp ears proved that. However, if she hadn't died, what happened?

Bits and pieces came to her gradually. She had been helping Sokovia against Ultron. Pietro had been shot and she tried to-

 _Pietro_.

"Where's-" Her voice came out in a croak. She cleared her throat. "Where's Pietro? Is he?…"

The elf, she now identified, shushed her. "He is alive. You overexerted yourself in doing that, and lifting an entire mass of earth. It took a toll on you, and you left the living for a while. We brought you back just like you did to him."

"Where are they?" Corinne glanced at their background. This was not Earth.

They came to her side and held out an arm. "Let me explain everything while we walk."

She reluctantly accepted the help and finally stood up. Her legs were wobbly and felt like they haven't been used in ages. Nonetheless, the elf lead her to the grand oak doors that opened as they neared.

She startled at the elf guards standing on the sides of the hallway. They bowed deeply at the two of them.

They walked some distance away from the room until they reached a balcony. She could feel a fresh breeze on her face as they went closer, and a rush of ease came over her. From where they stood, she could see endless forest and sparkling buildings mixed in. It was a fluid blend of nature and architecture that took her breath away.

The elf noted her wonder with satisfaction. "Welcome back, Princess Borghild." The elf said.

"Princess Borghild? I think you've said the wrong name." Corinne said, feeling a sense of deja vu.

_Corinne? I'm Sentinel._

"You belong here as much as Álfheim belongs to you." The elf continued to gaze back at her evenly. A look in their eyes told Corinne that they had prepared for this. They nodded at some chairs to the left. "Please, rest. I know you are tired and there is much to discuss."

They sat down. The elf's eyes wandered to the city below them in thought. "You do not have to strain your voice. Allow me to speak." She looked nostalgic. "My name is Alva and I am one of the Seven who help rule Álfheim. Borghild was one of them. She was born daughter to the King and Queen, and she studied magic with great interest at a young age.

She discovered she had a strength in defensive magic, and rose in ranks to become one of the Seven. All of the Seven have a specific prowess in magic. Mine is my Sight. Borghild looked over the defense system of not only Álfheim, but many different realms' as well with her counsel. Asgard was one of them. Magic is a strength of the Álfheimir, and even Asgardians recognize this." She declared proudly.

At this point she glanced at Corinne hopefully for any recognition. The hopeful look was all too familiar to her. Corinne shook her head sadly back. "Sorry, I just can't remember."

"It's alright." Alva smiled. "There is still more. One day, she disappeared without a trace. Even I could not see her. Heimdall could not either. Shortly after, the King and Queen passed and everything fell apart as their children and many of the Seven fought for the throne. We believe she wanted to avoid the conflict, as she was one of the most eligible candidates. The people loved her, she was the princess, and she had experience protecting many realms. She could not be found, until…Loki reported that he had found her at last.

We believed he was lying at first because he had been recently been defeated and taken prisoner by the Midgardians-perhaps looking for a way out. Either way, we were too occupied with trying to take care of a situation caused by one of elves fighting for the throne. So…Viggo got to you first and gave the humans the magic to obtain you."

Alva stopped now, looking at Corinne for her reaction.

Corinne blinked. She was finally getting answers for who she was, but now she wasn't sure if she wanted them. "Wait, how did Borghild become me? How can you be so sure? I don't remember a lot of things, but I know I've never been an elf."

"There are ways. Elves, while being able to live longer than Midgardians, do not live as long as the Asgardians. But we do have ways have regenerating ourselves if we wish. Your form may be different, but your spirit is still there. You can revert to your original form if you want." Alva replied smoothly as if reincarnation was a perfectly normal recurrence.

"Okay." Corinne tried to process the influx of information rationally. So she's a magical elf in a complicated way. Okay. She can handle this.

Alva smiled sympathetically. "I'm sorry this is so soon, but we must go to Asgard. Odin requested your presence as soon as you awoke."

* * *

Thor fidgets as his friends spoke sadly about Corinne. Being the only family she really had, they were left to arrange the funeral. It was not a burden, of course. Truthfully, it wouldn't feel right if they didn't.

The new Avenger, Wanda, eyes him curiously. His discomfort is obvious even without her looking at his mind. "What is wrong?" She says tentatively. It is still a bit rocky between them, although the lost of Corinne had brought them closer.

Thor shook his head, sending her a strained grin. "Nothing."

It occurs to Wanda that she could invade his thoughts, but lately she had been trying not to. Now that her rage had dimmed, it was clear that it was a violating thing to do. She's trying to only when do it when it was life threatening. Moreover, she should be able to trust her new team mates.

She scruntinized the man before her. It was obvious that he was hiding something.

 _Maybe it is his problems back on his alien realm._  Wanda vaguely recalled the visions she saw on Ulysses' ship.  _He is a prince after all._

She'll leave him alone, for now.

* * *

Corinne did not want to go see Odin.

Last time she met him, he threw her into prison. It hadn't really been a great experience. However, Alva convinced her that she must go. He was the All-father, and without him, they would have never had been able to access her. Apparently, he grants the permission for anyone to travel between realms. If she sees him, she could persuade him to let her go back to Earth and clear everything up.

She was also Borghild.

"You need to look like a high elf again, Borghild." Alva inspected her from head to toe.

Corinne glanced down at herself. She was still in her suit because she had come directly from Sokovia. Her clothing was dirty with scorch marks here and there as it had done its job protecting her.

Raised her hand and waved it over Corinne. She felt something like a warm gust of wind wrap around her. Almost immediately she felt the difference. Instead of the form fitting material of her suit, a looser gauzy fabric covered her body.

Corinne looked down to see that she was wearing a flowing dress similar to Alva's. As opposed to the metal woven clothing Jane wore on Asgard, this was more relaxed and free. The silky cloth bared her shoulders and much of her skin, not very safe for battle but good for the warm climate of Álfheim.

Alva nudged her towards the stream flowing right through the castle. Corinne got a better look at herself in the reflection. Her hair had been pulled out of her face but tumbled in soft waves behind her back. A gold circlet of leaves and gems sits atop her raven hair like a crown.

A distant memory of Loki's illusions during their fight against dark elves resurfaces. He had turned almost exactly into the elf she saw right now. Back then, she hadn't understood, but now she did.

It still felt like looking at a stranger.

The other elf takes her outside to a field where the Bifrost bridge's seal is already stamped. Alva calls out Heimdall's name, and then they are engulfed by colourful light.

It's strange to walk right through Asgard without needing to be sneaky, like last time. People stare and whisper as they make their way to Odin. More than once, she hears "Borghild" as they point to her. News spreads fast. She absentmindedly wonders if they also recognize her as the human that had been dragged into Asgard by guards.

The throne room is the same as ever when they arrive. Odin sits wearily above everyone else, but something flickers through his eyes when he spots her.

"Leave us." Odin waves off the guards.

They obey his command, and the armored Asgardians clank away. Alva nods to her and leaves her too. The throne room suddenly seems much larger and intimidating with just her and the All-father.

He notices this with something akin to humor. She's almost taken back by how it looks on the stern man. "There's no need to be afraid. We are allies now, are we not?"

"I…" She furrowed her brows. She couldn't remember ever agreeing, but maybe he was thinking of Borghild. "Sure?"

The elderly man gave her a quizzical smile. "Perhaps you need to refresh your memory." Green light enveloped the god, and Corinne's eyes widened when it dissipated.

Sitting on the throne was a much younger god with dark hair and teasing eyes. He sat back comfortably with his knees apart, like the throne had always belonged to him.

"Oh my god." Corinne breathed.

"Loki, to be specific." The trickster smirked.

"How are you-but Heimdall?" She exclaimed, looking at the entrances expecting the all-seer to storm in.

Loki gave her an odd smile, a mixture of amusement and endearment at her worry. "Illusions. I have hid from the eyes of Heimdall many times since I was but a young god. I have cloaked this room-Heimdall sees only Odin and you as we speak. Also, this is not the first time I've kept myself 'dead'." He was sauntering smugly down from his throne now, and getting closer to her.

She studied him as he stood only a foot away. He looked almost the same as he had when they were jail mates. Except he seemed to have this light in his eye now as he looked at her.

Her hand reached out and landed on his metal clad chest. He stiffened, surprised.

"You're real." Corinne said, staring at where her hand was in disbelief. All those times she doubted her sanity when he popped out of thin air...A shaky laugh came out of her. "I haven't been hallucinating everything."

He relaxed at her words, though a flash of disappointment passed through his eyes. "Yes, I am real."

"How did you do it?" She asked curiously. Faking a death was something out of fiction to her. Hers did not really count as she didn't plan it.

One of his hands reached into the depths of his jacket and the other took hold of her hand. She let her hand open palm up, and felt something cool and smooth gently pressed into it. She had been maintaining eye contact with Loki until now, so she dropped her gaze.

"Again, some illusions and a bit of help…" He trailed off.

In her hand was the piece of shield that she had given him as part of their deal.

_Of course._

He was gauging her reaction carefully, and she knew it. "This makes me an accomplice in a way, huh." Corinne tried to comment offhandedly.

"What do you think of that?" He drawled back just as casually.

She considered him for a long moment. She had helped him in his trickery, yes, but she hadn't known what exactly it was for. To be honest, she wasn't sure if she would have let him die if she knew. As much as she hates him for what he did on Earth, she had never been one to easily wish for someone's death. It just didn't feel right to her.

But Corinne shook her head. "It doesn't matter now, right? I'm allied with you because of the deal. If you were dead, we wouldn't have made it."

_And Pietro would have stayed dead._

"That almost sounded like you are glad I'm alive. Not many people would return this sentiment."

"I wonder why." She grinned briefly, and paused. "Look, I need to get back to Earth."

Odin controlled who would travel between realms. Even as this wasn't truly Odin, Heimdall still heeds orders from who he thinks is Odin.

An incredulous look took over Loki's face, any mirth on it gone in a second. "Why?"

"My friends think I'm dead? Unlike you, I don't like to do that to people. Also, I belong on Earth. It's my home."

"Your home is Álfheim. I do not understand why you would give up what you have here for Midgard, of all places. You are Borghild, you have  _power_." Loki argued, looking genuinely confused. "You were born into it, why would you not keep it? Has Thor somehow infected you with his foolishness?"

"I can't be Borghild. I've only just begun to balance Corinne and Sentinel." She gestured to her getup exasperately, the breezy long sleeves emphasizing her movements. "This isn't me. Not right now, anyway. Look, I'll still help you in whatever it is you keep on ominously hinting at…I'll just be on Earth."

"Ragnarok." Loki murmured.

"What?"

"You're needed here because Ragnarok is nearing. It could be the end of our stories, and I need yo-all the help I can trust." He turned around and walked back to the throne. "Álfheim requires your aid too. The turmoil has gone on for long enough. Take power."

"I can't. Alva can handle it, right? They've gone on long enough just fine without me."

At that Loki faced her, a look of such deep frustration on his face that she took a step back.

"Why do you always do this?" He spat out. "I find you, and you are just going to leave again? I'm king now, so you don't have to hide. You can be  _queen_."

Corinne's eyes widened at the change from his usual calm and collected demeanor. "What?"

_He's talking like…he knew me before?_

"You knew Borghild, didn't you." She stated more than questioned.

Loki blinked, and as soon as the surge of emotion had shown itself, it was gone again. He stared at her with an unreadable expression. "You've lost memories from that organization…HYDRA? Perhaps you should stay in Álfheim longer. They have magical ways of retrieving your memory. Fully."

"Really?" Corinne's eyes lit up. This was an opportunity to remember everything and avoid the guilty looks of her friends. She could make faster progress if she remembered everything all at once.

"Yes." He hid his face from her view as he turned away. "You may go to Heimdall to return whenever you are ready. I won't stop you."

"Why are you helping me?" She said suspiciously. His mood had fluctuated a lot in the few minutes they spoke. His intentions were driven by something, but it was unclear to her what it was.

He stilled. Curt laughter echoed throughout the throne room. Loki looked at her over his shoulder. "It doesn't matter." His magic covered him and transformed his form back into Odin's. "Just be here for Ragnarok."

* * *

Wanda's throat hurt as she screamed for the second time that day. It was with a barely there control that she managed not to obilibrate everyone within her radius.

Nearby SHIELD paramedics shoved the shocked Pietro away, doing something to try to revive her. They sat back and watched hopelessly.

The look on Wanda's face clearly told them that Corinne was gone.

Yet, after five minutes, Steve pushed through and tried to revive her himself, hoping some of his super strength would somehow help. Each failed attempt increased the disheartening air of the life boat.

"Please, please, not again…" The super soldier could be heard gasping out, choking with only just contained sobs. With his well known history, the others knew what he was referring to.

The remaining Avengers had joined them at this point. Most of them were silent, shocked and somber. From the defeat of Ultron to Pietro's death and revival had been enough of an emotional rollercoaster. Now Corinne was dead, and they doubted they would be so lucky as to witnessing another revival.

Wanda openly cried, tears freely flowing down her face. She crashed down beside her dead friend's body and tried to work her magic. The spirals of red curled around Corinne, but she didn't open her eyes.

Pietro zoomed back close to brush his hand against Corinne's quickly cooling cheek, still in doubt. It was only moments ago that she had hugged him and cried happily. How did this happen so fast? His expression became pinched and he blurred away in frustration.

"Bruce is off the grid-" Natasha bounded in from the main SHIELD helicarrier to their life boat. Her expression fell when she saw Corinne. "Oh no, _dushenka_."

She looked at Clint for confirmation. He nodded grimly, expression hard. The spy closed her eyes and sighed deeply, the sorrow deeply etched into her features.

"Of all the people to deserve this." She muttered darkly.

"Lady Corinne is-was, brave and kind to the very end." Thor said, head bowed slightly in respect.

His words stung more than comforted the others. It was startling to hear the past tense used about Corinne so soon.

SHIELD personnel stood on the side awkwardly. They had a stretcher at ready, a cover draped over it. There was no explaination needed as for what the cover was for.

"Steve, we have to go." Tony had been uncharacteristically quiet up until this point. He could hardly look at the scene, his mind urging him to flee from this.

Said super soldier held Corinne's unresponsive hand in his, expression heartbroken beyond anything they've ever seen. The team knew for a fact that Steve was perhaps one of the closest people to Corinne. They had a close relationship, and there was no doubt that there could have been something more. What they felt themselves was probably tripled for the blond man.

"They need to move her to where the rest of the deceased are." Natasha said, the look in her eyes showing that she's seen this way too many times.

"I can't leave. I-I have to keep an eye on her." He shook his head, eyes looking miles away. "Last time I thought Bucky was dead, he wasn't. And if I had known, if I had went back to look for him…he wouldn't have suffered."

"I don't think she's still alive, Steve. Her body's right here." Clint admitted grudgingly.

"Everyone thought I was dead when I was in the ice, so maybe it's the same with her?" He continued desperately. His hand gently brushed back her hair.

They were supposed to all go back to the Tower, _home_ , and celebrate the defeat of Ultron. They were supposed to laugh, dance and sing horribly. They were supposed to work on her recovery from HYDRA and rebuild their friendship. When she had gotten better, he was supposed to say what he had wanted to say to her for so long...

But they couldn't do any of that, and the guilt fell heavily on all of them.

"…I think she liked daffodils." Natasha said at last.

* * *

Elsewhere, Pietro blurred as he paced back and forth. He felt tired from coming back from death, but why would it matter? "She shouldn't have done it for me. She died, and because of-"

Wanda, who had gone to look for him when she couldn't stand seeing her dead friend anymore, stopped him in his tracks with her telekinetic powers. "Don't." She said softly, throat aching.

"You could have stopped her!" His voice rising. "She traded her life for mine, and you could have stopped everything."

Her eyes flashed red. "Do you know what you're saying? You were dead, and she was bringing you back. How could I have said no?" Wanda fired back at him angrily. "If you could bring her back right now- you _would_ too, wouldn't you?"

"Being dead hurt less than this." He replied as his shoulders slumped forward.

His sister's gaze softened. "Don't say that. She didn't die for nothing, Pietro."

He hugged her, not resisting his tears anymore. "This is all my fault."

"It's all of ours."

* * *

It had been difficult, but they managed to tear themselves away from Corinne at last. SHIELD wheeled her away to another room, and they left with feelings of emptiness and guilt.

They returned to their Quinjet which had been parked within the helicarrier. The atmosphere was not so different from the dejected one only days before. Only this time, the twins were with them.

"We have to contact her family." Clint said emotionlessly, looking at Steve. He knew the most about her.

"She doesn't-they're out of the picture." Steve breathes deeply. As much as it pains all of them, the reality of her death is something they have to face. No amount of time could make what happened any better. "She has some close friends though-Beth."

Natasha suddenly stiffens, looking at the others. "Bruce doesn't know yet."

"He'll just have to-"

"Detected intruders where Ms. Lin is." FRIDAY interrupts. "Not SHIELD, not…human."

At once, they speed towards the room. Pietro runs almost at the same pace as them, due to his recent recovery. SHIELD and civilians stay clear of their path at the sight of their expressions. It's something they're thankful for as it only takes them under a minute to get to the room.

"Where's Thor?" Steve says as they arrive at the doors.

"FRIDAY already told him. Should be here soon." Tony responds. "Now let's get these bastards."

The Avengers weren't sure what to expect as they crashed into the room. Chitauri? Asgardians? What they saw instead were tall forms with pointed ears, straight out of Middle Earth. Elves.

They stand over Corinne's covered, limp form. The flawless extraterrestrials glowed in such a way that had they not known they were elves, they could have been mistaken for angels.

The humans immediately fire and shoot at them, protective of their friend even as she lay dead. What were they, corpse collecting aliens?

The elves tilted their heads and their attacks were blocked by an invisible barrier.

"Did they just steal her powers?"

"Hey Legolas, I think these are your people." Tony said to Clint.

"Ha ha." The archer got an arrow and pulled it to his cheek.

They ceased their attacks but remained on guard. It was evident that any shots would be defected in a manner similar to Corinne's.

 _Corinne_. Seeing her powers sent painful pangs through them.

The elves had uncovered Corinne, and seemed to be inspecting her. They murmured to each other in a foreign, but melodic language. Pietro impulsively ran towards them, but was blocked by the invisible shield.

"Did Thor ever mention these guys?" Clint cocked his head at the two aliens, eyes narrowed.

"Thor encountered "dark elves" a couple months ago. They tried to take over the world in London, so I'd be careful with these ones." Natasha supplied, guns aimed and ready to shoot at the smallest opening. "Left quite a clean up for the old SHIELD."

"I saw that on the news." Steve piped up. The grief had hidden away and been replaced by determination. Whoever they were, they had no right to do what they wanted with Corinne. "You think they're taking a second try at world domination?"

"Another one?" Someone groaned.

The sound of Mjolnir echoed and the Avengers whipped back to look at Thor.

"Thor! What are these aliens doing here?"

The demigod had thundered into the room with fury, but his demeanor changed as his eyes landed on said aliens. "Do not attack! They are light elves. Peaceful-likely here for a reason other than to harm."

"I don't care," Pietro growled, "they're not peaceful to me right now. Why do they want Corinne?"

Wanda glowered at the light elves. Her hands itched to release a myriad of magic at them. "I cannot read their minds. They are shielded."

"Do you want her to live again?" One of them finally spoke. This elf had ethereal eyes of forest and sky and a voice like wind chimes. "I know you all care for her deeply."

"We can resurrect her." The other added. This one had a long braid of shocking white hair.

"Uh huh, and she'll be all weird and not herself? I've seen that episode of Game of Thrones." Tony said, his repulsor whirring as he prepared to attack again.

A look of exasperation came over the elf's features. They looked over to Thor instead. "She belongs with us, you know that. We have Odin's permission to take her to Alfheim and do whatever is necessary."

"Odin?" Thor furrowed his brows. Was this another one of his father's strange decisions?

"Why would she belong with you?"

"You're not taking her anywhere."

"What's Alfheim?"

"Her home." The braided elf declares.

"Heimdall told Odin of what happened and he sent us here." The other one explained, eyes still on Thor. "If they do not cooperate, we will take matters into our own hands."

"Go ahead, but you're not bringing her with you."

"Get _away_ from her."

The Avengers sprang into action again, rushing at the aliens with fierce determination. But they became stock still, suddenly immobilized as one of the elves waved their hand. Only Thor remained unfrozen, surprised at the state of his team mates.

"The mortals will believe she is still dead when the spell is over. If she returns, they will realize, but if she doesn't, nothing will change." One of the elves said. "We will leave a duplicate of her."

 _If these are Odin's orders_ …"Do you believe she can be saved?"

"We will try. You can only trust us." He glanced down at the lifeless woman. "Borghild's done this before."

"Borghild." Thor's eyebrows went up. "You do not mean to tell me that Corinne is…"

"She is. Or she was. Did Odin not tell you?" The elf shook their head. "He found out while she was captured. We kept Sight on her, but because of the war…we could not reach her before the others did."

"Others?" The dizzying new information had only confused the demigod more.

"An enemy helped the Midgardian organization subdue her. But that is not the matter at hand." They replied. "We must return her to Alfheim. Do not attempt to tell them, as it will only be more devastating if she does not return."

Thor looked at Corinne, skin pale and eyes closed. With a heavy heart, he nodded. "I understand."

The elves disappeared with his friend, an identical form of her appearing on the table only seconds later.

The god of thunder stared at the fake Corinne contemplatively. His team mates had just begun to rouse from the spell, confused as to why they were all in here. He paid them no mind as he continued to observe Corinne in a different light. Now that he thought about it, it all made sense.

 _If she is Borghild_ , he thought, _then it explains why Loki took such an interest in her._

* * *

**Borghild means "defence in battle" in Old Norse. Found this name and I was like _perfect_. Just to clarify, she's not supposed to be the one in the myth that poisons somebody. I just really like the name-probably going to use Old Norse names for anyone not from Earth.**

**Ragnarok refers to the next Thor movie. Not sure what exactly's coming...but it was an end of the world thing in the comics.**

**Get ready for more backstory next chap! Might start writing romantic-y drabbles again for the folks that don't really prefer Loki and Corinne. (Steve, Bruce, Bucky, etc for the drabbles) As you can probably guess, they're going to spend some more time together.**

**Might also compile previous drabbles into a tumblr and tag em so it's all organized. Digging through previous chapters for drabbles is pretty annoying, yeah? I think it might be fun to have a blog where I post any extra bits or pictures that relate to the story too. Thoughts?**

**I hope everything makes sense! I know I've been dragging this out for a long time. Feel free to ask if you're confused about anything :)**

**BTW, updates are going to slow because of school...barely made the one week update today.**

**10.18.15.**


	18. Chapter 18

**Long chapter to make up for the wait! Wrote this hurriedly between life stuff (basically on the bus) so it might be a bit rough.**

* * *

Coming back from death left her feeling more energetic, at first.

The irritating heat in her chest caused her to constantly want to move. The excess energy burned and burned but never seemed to disappear completely. It was surprising how restless she was, as most would assume one would be exhausted from crossing life's boundary twice.

As Corinne turned to leave the throne room, Loki-Odin called out to her.

"Do not tell Thor."

He didn't specify, but she knew what he meant. Don't tell him I'm alive.

It confused her to no end why he was fine with doing this. Yes, he had a much worse relationship with his stepbrother than her and the Avengers…But what is his plan? Thor would find out eventually.

Asgard seemed to be doing well under his rule. No one suspected anything out of the ordinary because of how well he was doing. He hadn't done anything extremely harmful yet…so would she be hurting anyone by agreeing to withhold information?

Corinne just nodded halfheartedly and walked out before he could respond. She tried to convince herself that Odin was probably subdued somehow. Even Loki couldn't kill the real Allfather, right?

Alva was waiting for her as she exited the throne room. The elf gave her an inquisitive look as Corinne joined her side.

"I have permission to go home." She stated simply. That summarized just one of the things.

Alva nodded, though disappointment passed through her otherworldly eyes. "Of course."

Corinne tried not to feel the guilt. She had a right to be back with her friends, no matter who she had been before. Hesitantly, she began to speak again. "Alva…he mentioned something about retrieving my memories by magic. In Álfheim."

"Yes, that can be done. Do you?…"

"I want to." It was tempting. Being able to remember everything and not ever see those looks on her friends' faces anymore…It could all be done with magic. "How long would it take?"

* * *

The news station and the internet had exploded when the news came out.

It came to no surprise that many people recognized Corinne during the invasions. In Sokovia, most people had put two and two together and knew that she was an Avenger. The media have had speculations about an extra Avenger after the Battle of New York. The evidence of her fighting against Ultron in Sokovia confirmed everything. When she fell, it took only one post online and a couple blurry photos for the media to grab hold of it.

The tragedy and loss from Sokovia was only amplified as people realized that an Avenger had been lost.

Bruce's hand clenched around his cup of water while he watched the television screen. It was small and much thicker than the now common flat screen, but it sufficed for giving him news. Untraceable. The hideout was dark, lit up only by the light of the ancient television.

He tried to breathe properly at the images the news reporter showed. Someone online had identified the unknown Avenger at last, and they pulled up a graduation picture of her. Everyone knew who she was now. No more secret identity.

But it didn't matter anymore, because she was gone.

"Witnesses say she died on a SHIELD lifeboat. Although surrounded by almost all the members of the Avengers, she passed away. It is unclear how she died, as there were no major injuries seen-"

He placed the glass firmly on top of his table. His hand had started to shake and it wouldn't take much more for him to drop or throw it against a wall.

A horrible thought had struck him.

He was a doctor.

He could have been there and done something.

"There are no remaining family members that we know of as of now, however it seems the Avengers are taking care of-"

He shut it off.

* * *

"Are your memories not returning?" Alva asked. "I heard that they were coming gradually as you are an elf."

"They are." The incredibly vivid dreams definitely occurred.

But she wanted them all at once. She wanted her mind to be the same again. No missing parts, no disconnect in between her old life and her life now.

"You will have to drink an elixir and enter a deep sleep." Alva said. "There, the magic will allow you to relive each moment faster. It can be overwhelming."

"Will it take a long time? I just…want to let my friends know I'm alive."

"It'll take several nights. Time passes by differently in each realm, however. Almost two days have passed in Midgard, while here it has only been one."

Corinne bit her lip. If she changed places with one of them, she knew she would want to hear the truth as soon as possible. They would be outraged to hear that she delayed her arrival.

"Are you planning to leave Álfheim already?"

Corinne's attention went back to Alva. She had almost forgotten that she had responsibilities here and the elf expected her to stay. Embarassed, she nodded. "I'll try to come back, but…"

Alva seemed to understand her dilemna. "I know Álfheim is not important to you as of now. I do hope you will come to care about more than just Midgard, but...Here, follow me."

The elf took a turn around one of the golden pillars and descended a spiral staircase. Patrolling Asgardians were scattered throughout their way, but they only gave them a passing glance. Soon, they were in a small room with a globe like thing in the center.

"Is it…broken?" The whole machine was dusty and there were cracks in the glass globe. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the globe covered a miniature version of Asgard.

"Borghild developped this force field system not too long ago. A thousand years, give or take." Corinne wanted to gape at the number but Alva treated it like it was only minutes to her. The elf continued casually. "It has not been updated since…she disappeared. The magic was already waning when the dark elves ambushed Asgard, and now it is even more damaged."

Corinne ran her fingers over the fractured glass. Amongst the multiple faults, there were complete shards missing from it. A soft yellow glow, her own magic from long ago she realized, flowed through the shattered globe.

"The shield still holds up with what little magic remains. There are weak spots in it, and until it is mended, Asgard is still vulnerable."

Corinne's eyes gently slid closed. A small pulse of magic came from her hand, and it filled in one of the gaps of the dome. Despite the seemingly small burst of it, she felt a huge transfer of energy. In the back of her mind she knew that it now flowed through Asgard's defense.

There were still multiple cracks left, however. She had only mended one and it already drained her energy. It would take time to fix everything.

"The reason why elves have such an affinity for magic is because we are not as attached to our physical forms. Our magic is what makes us, and it is passed on. That's why you are Borghild and Borghild is you." Alva beamed at her. "You can do a lot of good here, and on the other realms."

"I know." Corinne murmured. She couldn't turn down someone asking for help. This was about the protection of maybe millions of people too. She wouldn't be able to rest easy knowing that any attack they suffered could have been prevented or lessened by her. "But I have to take care of things on Earth first."

"Do you still want to recover your memories before you depart?"

* * *

The same numbness that had followed after Bucky fell and after discovering that decades have passed him by appeared again.

Sam had a word for it. He encouraged him to come to more sessions.

Steve would smile politely and shake his head.

"Too much work to do." He would reply every time Sam brought it up. His friend always gave him a knowing look, and although he knew Sam meant well, he just couldn't do it.

And he did have a lot to do. The new Avengers base wasn't going to start running himself, after all. So he buried himself into the work. It was a successful distraction for a period of time.

However during training sessions he would find himself turning to her to make a remark or share laughter at something that happened-only to face thin air.

When he found himself restless in the late hours, he found himself wondering why there was nobody baking as he walked into the kitchen.

There were plenty of people to discuss things from his list of things to catch up on, but it wasn't the same as her. Nothing and no one was comparable to her.

Even though there had already been an emptiness around them when she had been captured by HYDRA, this was worse. This was final, and they had her corpse to prove it.

The others weren't faring well either. Tony had lapsed into his late nights of tinkering again. Clint retreated to his farm and family, looking worn out. Natasha seemed to also accept the reality with an experienced weariness. Bruce was still nowhere to be seen. Thor didn't say much, choosing to visit Jane while he could. Jane and her intern Darcy had despaired over Corinne when they heard the news.

The twins had been hit by the loss just as hard. They both felt guilty that they essentially were still together at the price of a friend's life. Wanda was susceptile to everyone's emotions and that furthered her grief. Pietro constantly disappeared on his own, avoiding everyone for either himself or them.

"You need some closure." Sam had said one morning when he caught Steve staring blankly at something. Steve had nodded.

The funeral was in a week.

The frothy liquid was blue green, but not in a murky lake water way.

As Corinne swirled it in the small glass bowl Alva had given her, the clear colours blended together beatifically. Her other hand was behind her, supporting her so that she sat upright in a bed. She was alone. Alva had already explained in depth what would happen before bringing her to this mirrored room, leaving her to her privacy.

It was obvious that this room had been specifically made for this purpose. The bed she was on now felt heavenly, and there were more than enough pillows strewn across to last her a lifetime. It was comfortable for someone to slumber for a long time.

She had still been hesitant when Alva asked her to make a decision. Even the elf could see the internal struggle she was having. So, Alva came up with a solution to shorten the time she would be gone. Instead of the full recovery which would take several days, she would dilute the elixir so that it would only recover more or less half of her memories.

They would be fully lived out, and Corinne would hopefully feel again all the emotional attachments to her memories.

This would take only one night, at the most. It wouldn't be everything she wanted, but it is still significant as it is beginning. With this, she starts the process of the piecing together her past.

The liquid smelled like something homey, familiar. Just the scent of it triggered images of the tower, and somewhere else where there were smells of baking. After taking a deep breath, she finished the bowl in a one long drawl.

Corinne let herself sink into the pillows. As sleep pulled at her, she smiled. After she sees her friends in her memories, she'll actually get to see them again. She had already spoke to Heimdall, and he assured her that he was ready to teleport her whenever she wanted. He probably saw her now as her eyes drifted shut...

* * *

The elf peered into the secluded garden and noticed another close to her age already there. He couldn't look more frustrated than he was then, glaring at a small, wilting flower. A thick, opened tome was beside him as he muttered to himself.

"Odin's beard, would you just  _heal_  already." His hands waved somewhat aggressively as bursts of green magic came from them. The Asgardian's face was set in a petulant frown, as if the flower had offended him deeply.

Borghild stifled a laugh at his expression. Still, she could sympathize with the frustration of learning new magic. There were more times than she could count where she had almost thrown a similar fit.

"I can teach you how." Loki's head snapped up, surprised. Instead of the condescending or disappointed look he received most of the time for practicing magic, a hesitant smile was in place.

His gaze went from her expectant face to the wilting plant in his hand. "And in return?" He quirked an eyebrow, wary voice suddenly coming from behind her too. The trickster in him smiled as she jumped a bit at his illusion. Rather than glaring accusingly at him though, she inspected his illusion with great interest.

Everyone knew the elves were peaceful, but this was the first time he'd had a close encounter with one and it was dangerous to trust generalizations. Still, he couldn't stomp down the spark of curiosity.

He had observed her and her family briefly from afar when they arrived. They were not too alien from Asgardians in terms of looks, but it was clear that there was some aura that was just…magical. Like their body is just illusion or something to hold the magic.

Borghild seemed taken back at his question. She blinked, at a lost, but settled on something as her eyes lit up. "You could teach me how to do those illusions!" She flushed slightly at her own over-enthusiasm. "That is, there are not…many who teach the art of illusions on Álfheim."

The corner of his mouth almost twitched up in a smile, but he shrugged at her to nonchalantly ignore her flounder. The young god held out the potted plant. "Well?"

She took the plant gently into her hands and placed it on a nearby table. An air of ease came from her as she began explaining. "First, before anything else, you must reaffirm your resolve to do what you want to…"

In the beginning, her pupil hesitantly listened to her speak. However, as time went on and she demonstrated, with success, her ability, he listened wholeheartedly. They found another wilting plant and he tried again. He attempted it four times with much advice from the elf before he brought the flower into a bloom.

A proud smile took over his features before he could stop it. Loki looked at the lively flowers and its vibrant petals in amazement. "I did it."

Borghild genuinely laughed at the joy on his face. It was such a change from the cool, guarded expression from before. "Now you can move onto healing other living things!" She said, delighted at witnessing someone learning a new magic.

He nodded eagerly. The prospect of being able to heal any of his wounds in the future would be useful. He was no giant wall of muscle like Thor, and his furtiveness can only get him so far.

"But first," he grinned devilishly, "it's your turn to be taught."

* * *

Some stupid failed experiment by a rookie scientist had backfired terribly.

The furry, scaly, and slimy monstrosities flew all over the area. The team, much larger now, did their best to bring them down. It was more efficient with its new members so they were actually making fast progress.

Until the experiments starting spitting out acid saliva.

The creator had accidentally released them in the middle of downtown, of all places. The center of this city. The most populated area around this time of the day, where people work or shop. It was very poor timing and location.

The superheroes had had it under control. The crowd had been steadily evacuating. Although it was chaotic, they were not being generally harmed. Now, with acid basically raining down on them, many people let out noises of alarm and distress. The ones who had been hit hissed out in pain. Not a good development.

"That can't be good." Clint flinched as he barely dodged acidic spit himself. "Those people need medical help."

Vision sent a laser beam through several of the creatures. "We do not know of any long term effects either."

Some of them had opened up umbrellas, which helped for a couple of minutes before holes burned through.

Steve noticed this. "We need a shield up over them. Cor-" He stopped abruptly.

Silence, except for the screeching of the monsters and their own attacks.

The captain muttered under his breath. "Sorry, I-"

"Don't sweat it." Falcon said quietly.

"We were all thinking it anyway."

* * *

"Morning." A voice echoed.

She laughed as Loki whipped around, eyes comically wide. He exhaled sharply. "Borghild."

But as he went towards her, she dissipated. He turned around knowingly, his surprise now mingling with pride.

"How was that?" The real elf grinned from ear to ear.

"I fear my position as the trickster of Asgard may be compromised." He replies dryly, but smirking all the same.

A small smile played on her lips. The tips of her ears were pink as she tucked a strand of her behind her ear. "Well, you do not have to worry about that any longer...I am leaving for Midgard."

Loki gave her a puzzled look. "Alright?...I doubt Odin would allow it, but you could ask."

She shook her head. "He cannot- _nobody_  can know. That's why I am asking this of you. Do you have a way into Midgard?"

"Why do you need to go to Midgard, of all the places?" He sidetracked. "There's nothing there."

She avoided his gaze. "It does not matter. I just need a hidden path, a portal. Loki, please. I am sure you know of a way."

She was aware that Loki knew of weak links between the realms. Ever since he was a child, he rarely trained and sparred with Thor and the other warriors. He often opted to explore by himself. Several thousand years of this has lead to many discoveries of gaps in space and time. Like a glitch, passing through the specific point would transport someone just as quickly as the Bifrost.

He had revealed this to her tentatively after deciding to trust her. Loki had brought her along to one of the portals, and they spent the day in a settlement on the edge of Vanaheim. It had been a fun and thrilling day, knowing that Odin had no idea at all.

"I do." He admitted, a bit confused. The urgency in her voice caused his jaw to clench. What was making her so panicked? "I'll help you."

Borghild gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you."

He couldn't help but think he would regret this.

* * *

Corinne awoke groggily. For a second, she was alarmed at her surroundings. This was not the tower, and definitely not a HYDRA base. It eventually came back to her as she lay there. Her body and mind still felt tired as if she hadn't slept at all. It was as if she had followed into her memories and done everything.

Her memories.

She filtered through them confusedly. The dreams, true to Alva's word, were clear as day as if they were only yesterday. There was an overload of them. Years and years of experiences had been shoved into her mind.

The only problem was they were the wrong ones.

She stumbled out of the room in a haste. Winding through several hallways, she peeked into each room until she spotted the back of Alva.

The elf's ear seemed to twitch in her direction before she turned to her. "You're awake. How was it?"

How should she put this? "...I got my memories, but they're not mine. In the dreams, I was Borghild."

Alva's eyebrows shot up. "Well, you  _are_  Borghild. It makes sense that the draught could do this. You retrieved only half of your memories, so perhaps the other half is the one you want." Alva trailed off, amused and thoughtful. "Did you enjoy your time as Borghild?"

Corinne's mind went back to the overload of images in her head. It was mostly being raised in beautiful Álfheim, and pouring over tomes on magic. She remember seeing Alva frequently too. Later, it was fine tuning defense systems, and visiting her friend when she was in Asgard…Loki.

"It was...interesting. Borghild seemed like good friends with Loki."

Alva's warm smile became strained. "Is that what Midgardians call it?"

"What?"

Alva shook her head, turning around to roll up the scroll she was looking at. "Your dream has already took two days on Midgard. I believe you want to return now, yes?"

* * *

**Next chapter's preview  is on the new tumblr I made for Deterrence!**

**It's deterrencefic dot tumblr dot com !**

**There's pictures, gifs, and the old drabbles. I will be updating it probably more frequently than I do here, with word count updates and etc. And you guys can ask me stuff there too, if you want. There's an anonymous option and everything.**

**By the time I post this chapter, I think there'll be a drabble or two up there. (I think it's Bucky/Corinne)**

**All new drabbles will be on the tumblr from now on, but you can still request here in the reviews if you want to.**

**I will probably post some new prompts for you all to choose from soon. It's been a while.**

**Hope you guys like it!**

**11.07.15.**


	19. Chapter 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> FLIPPIN THRU THE STORY AND APPARENTLY THIS WAS NEVER POSTED??? HERE IT IS SUPER LATE OMG HOW DID EVERYTHING MAKE SENSE FOR YOU GUYS???

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> FLIPPIN THRU THE STORY AND APPARENTLY THIS WAS NEVER POSTED??? HERE IT IS SUPER LATE OMG HOW DID EVERYTHING MAKE SENSE FOR YOU GUYS???

 

**Long chapter to make up for the wait! Wrote this hurriedly between life stuff (basically on the bus) so it might be a bit rough.**

* * *

Coming back from death left her feeling more energetic, at first.

The irritating heat in her chest caused her to constantly want to move. The excess energy burned and burned but never seemed to disappear completely. It was surprising how restless she was, as most would assume one would be exhausted from crossing life's boundary twice.

As Corinne turned to leave the throne room, Loki-Odin called out to her.

"Do not tell Thor."

He didn't specify, but she knew what he meant. Don't tell him I'm alive.

It confused her to no end why he was fine with doing this. Yes, he had a much worse relationship with his stepbrother than her and the Avengers…But what is his plan? Thor would find out eventually.

Asgard seemed to be doing well under his rule. No one suspected anything out of the ordinary because of how well he was doing. He hadn't done anything extremely harmful yet…so would she be hurting anyone by agreeing to withhold information?

Corinne just nodded halfheartedly and walked out before he could respond. She tried to convince herself that Odin was probably subdued somehow. Even Loki couldn't kill the real Allfather, right?

Alva was waiting for her as she exited the throne room. The elf gave her an inquisitive look as Corinne joined her side.

"I have permission to go home." She stated simply. That summarized just one of the things.

Alva nodded, though disappointment passed through her otherworldly eyes. "Of course."

Corinne tried not to feel the guilt. She had a right to be back with her friends, no matter who she had been before. Hesitantly, she began to speak again. "Alva…he mentioned something about retrieving my memories by magic. In Álfheim."

"Yes, that can be done. Do you?…"

"I want to." It was tempting. Being able to remember everything and not ever see those looks on her friends' faces anymore…It could all be done with magic. "How long would it take?"

* * *

The news station and the internet had exploded when the news came out.

It came to no surprise that many people recognized Corinne during the invasions. In Sokovia, most people had put two and two together and knew that she was an Avenger. The media have had speculations about an extra Avenger after the Battle of New York. The evidence of her fighting against Ultron in Sokovia confirmed everything. When she fell, it took only one post online and a couple blurry photos for the media to grab hold of it.

The tragedy and loss from Sokovia was only amplified as people realized that an Avenger had been lost.

Bruce's hand clenched around his cup of water while he watched the television screen. It was small and much thicker than the now common flat screen, but it sufficed for giving him news. Untraceable. The hideout was dark, lit up only by the light of the ancient television.

He tried to breathe properly at the images the news reporter showed. Someone online had identified the unknown Avenger at last, and they pulled up a graduation picture of her. Everyone knew who she was now. No more secret identity.

But it didn't matter anymore, because she was gone.

"Witnesses say she died on a SHIELD lifeboat. Although surrounded by almost all the members of the Avengers, she passed away. It is unclear how she died, as there were no major injuries seen-"

He placed the glass firmly on top of his table. His hand had started to shake and it wouldn't take much more for him to drop or throw it against a wall.

A horrible thought had struck him.

He was a doctor.

He could have been there and done something.

"There are no remaining family members that we know of as of now, however it seems the Avengers are taking care of-"

He shut it off.

* * *

"Are your memories not returning?" Alva asked. "I heard that they were coming gradually as you are an elf."

"They are." The incredibly vivid dreams definitely occurred.

But she wanted them all at once. She wanted her mind to be the same again. No missing parts, no disconnect in between her old life and her life now.

"You will have to drink an elixir and enter a deep sleep." Alva said. "There, the magic will allow you to relive each moment faster. It can be overwhelming."

"Will it take a long time? I just…want to let my friends know I'm alive."

"It'll take several nights. Time passes by differently in each realm, however. Almost two days have passed in Midgard, while here it has only been one."

Corinne bit her lip. If she changed places with one of them, she knew she would want to hear the truth as soon as possible. They would be outraged to hear that she delayed her arrival.

"Are you planning to leave Álfheim already?"

Corinne's attention went back to Alva. She had almost forgotten that she had responsibilities here and the elf expected her to stay. Embarassed, she nodded. "I'll try to come back, but…"

Alva seemed to understand her dilemna. "I know Álfheim is not important to you as of now. I do hope you will come to care about more than just Midgard, but...Here, follow me."

The elf took a turn around one of the golden pillars and descended a spiral staircase. Patrolling Asgardians were scattered throughout their way, but they only gave them a passing glance. Soon, they were in a small room with a globe like thing in the center.

"Is it…broken?" The whole machine was dusty and there were cracks in the glass globe. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the globe covered a miniature version of Asgard.

"Borghild developped this force field system not too long ago. A thousand years, give or take." Corinne wanted to gape at the number but Alva treated it like it was only minutes to her. The elf continued casually. "It has not been updated since…she disappeared. The magic was already waning when the dark elves ambushed Asgard, and now it is even more damaged."

Corinne ran her fingers over the fractured glass. Amongst the multiple faults, there were complete shards missing from it. A soft yellow glow, her own magic from long ago she realized, flowed through the shattered globe.

"The shield still holds up with what little magic remains. There are weak spots in it, and until it is mended, Asgard is still vulnerable."

Corinne's eyes gently slid closed. A small pulse of magic came from her hand, and it filled in one of the gaps of the dome. Despite the seemingly small burst of it, she felt a huge transfer of energy. In the back of her mind she knew that it now flowed through Asgard's defense.

There were still multiple cracks left, however. She had only mended one and it already drained her energy. It would take time to fix everything.

"The reason why elves have such an affinity for magic is because we are not as attached to our physical forms. Our magic is what makes us, and it is passed on. That's why you are Borghild and Borghild is you." Alva beamed at her. "You can do a lot of good here, and on the other realms."

"I know." Corinne murmured. She couldn't turn down someone asking for help. This was about the protection of maybe millions of people too. She wouldn't be able to rest easy knowing that any attack they suffered could have been prevented or lessened by her. "But I have to take care of things on Earth first."

"Do you still want to recover your memories before you depart?"

* * *

The same numbness that had followed after Bucky fell and after discovering that decades have passed him by appeared again.

Sam had a word for it. He encouraged him to come to more sessions.

Steve would smile politely and shake his head.

"Too much work to do." He would reply every time Sam brought it up. His friend always gave him a knowing look, and although he knew Sam meant well, he just couldn't do it.

And he did have a lot to do. The new Avengers base wasn't going to start running himself, after all. So he buried himself into the work. It was a successful distraction for a period of time.

However during training sessions he would find himself turning to her to make a remark or share laughter at something that happened-only to face thin air.

When he found himself restless in the late hours, he found himself wondering why there was nobody baking as he walked into the kitchen.

There were plenty of people to discuss things from his list of things to catch up on, but it wasn't the same as her. Nothing and no one was comparable to her.

Even though there had already been an emptiness around them when she had been captured by HYDRA, this was worse. This was final, and they had her corpse to prove it.

The others weren't faring well either. Tony had lapsed into his late nights of tinkering again. Clint retreated to his farm and family, looking worn out. Natasha seemed to also accept the reality with an experienced weariness. Bruce was still nowhere to be seen. Thor didn't say much, choosing to visit Jane while he could. Jane and her intern Darcy had despaired over Corinne when they heard the news.

The twins had been hit by the loss just as hard. They both felt guilty that they essentially were still together at the price of a friend's life. Wanda was susceptile to everyone's emotions and that furthered her grief. Pietro constantly disappeared on his own, avoiding everyone for either himself or them.

"You need some closure." Sam had said one morning when he caught Steve staring blankly at something. Steve had nodded.

The funeral was in a week.

* * *

The frothy liquid was blue green, but not in a murky lake water way.

As Corinne swirled it in the small glass bowl Alva had given her, the clear colours blended together beatifically. Her other hand was behind her, supporting her so that she sat upright in a bed. She was alone. Alva had already explained in depth what would happen before bringing her to this mirrored room, leaving her to her privacy.

It was obvious that this room had been specifically made for this purpose. The bed she was on now felt heavenly, and there were more than enough pillows strewn across to last her a lifetime. It was comfortable for someone to slumber for a long time.

She had still been hesitant when Alva asked her to make a decision. Even the elf could see the internal struggle she was having. So, Alva came up with a solution to shorten the time she would be gone. Instead of the full recovery which would take several days, she would dilute the elixir so that it would only recover more or less half of her memories.

They would be fully lived out, and Corinne would hopefully feel again all the emotional attachments to her memories.

This would take only one night, at the most. It wouldn't be everything she wanted, but it is still significant as it is beginning. With this, she starts the process of the piecing together her past.

The liquid smelled like something homey, familiar. Just the scent of it triggered images of the tower, and somewhere else where there were smells of baking. After taking a deep breath, she finished the bowl in a one long drawl.

Corinne let herself sink into the pillows. As sleep pulled at her, she smiled. After she sees her friends in her memories, she'll actually get to see them again. She had already spoke to Heimdall, and he assured her that he was ready to teleport her whenever she wanted. He probably saw her now as her eyes drifted shut...

* * *

The elf peered into the secluded garden and noticed another close to her age already there. He couldn't look more frustrated than he was then, glaring at a small, wilting flower. A thick, opened tome was beside him as he muttered to himself.

"Odin's beard, would you just _heal_ already." His hands waved somewhat aggressively as bursts of green magic came from them. The Asgardian's face was set in a petulant frown, as if the flower had offended him deeply.

Borghild stifled a laugh at his expression. Still, she could sympathize with the frustration of learning new magic. There were more times than she could count where she had almost thrown a similar fit.

"I can teach you how." Loki's head snapped up, surprised. Instead of the condescending or disappointed look he received most of the time for practicing magic, a hesitant smile was in place.

His gaze went from her expectant face to the wilting plant in his hand. "And in return?" He quirked an eyebrow, wary voice suddenly coming from behind her too. The trickster in him smiled as she jumped a bit at his illusion. Rather than glaring accusingly at him though, she inspected his illusion with great interest.

Everyone knew the elves were peaceful, but this was the first time he'd had a close encounter with one and it was dangerous to trust generalizations. Still, he couldn't stomp down the spark of curiosity.

He had observed her and her family briefly from afar when they arrived. They were not too alien from Asgardians in terms of looks, but it was clear that there was some aura that was just…magical. Like their body is just illusion or something to hold the magic.

Borghild seemed taken back at his question. She blinked, at a lost, but settled on something as her eyes lit up. "You could teach me how to do those illusions!" She flushed slightly at her own over-enthusiasm. "That is, there are not…many who teach the art of illusions on Álfheim."

The corner of his mouth almost twitched up in a smile, but he shrugged at her to nonchalantly ignore her flounder. The young god held out the potted plant. "Well?"

She took the plant gently into her hands and placed it on a nearby table. An air of ease came from her as she began explaining. "First, before anything else, you must reaffirm your resolve to do what you want to…"

In the beginning, her pupil hesitantly listened to her speak. However, as time went on and she demonstrated, with success, her ability, he listened wholeheartedly. They found another wilting plant and he tried again. He attempted it four times with much advice from the elf before he brought the flower into a bloom.

A proud smile took over his features before he could stop it. Loki looked at the lively flowers and its vibrant petals in amazement. "I did it."

Borghild genuinely laughed at the joy on his face. It was such a change from the cool, guarded expression from before. "Now you can move onto healing other living things!" She said, delighted at witnessing someone learning a new magic.

He nodded eagerly. The prospect of being able to heal any of his wounds in the future would be useful. He was no giant wall of muscle like Thor, and his furtiveness can only get him so far.

"But first," he grinned devilishly, "it's your turn to be taught."

* * *

Some stupid failed experiment by a rookie scientist had backfired terribly.

The furry, scaly, and slimy monstrosities flew all over the area. The team, much larger now, did their best to bring them down. It was more efficient with its new members so they were actually making fast progress.

Until the experiments starting spitting out acid saliva.

The creator had accidentally released them in the middle of downtown, of all places. The center of this city. The most populated area around this time of the day, where people work or shop. It was very poor timing and location.

The superheroes had had it under control. The crowd had been steadily evacuating. Although it was chaotic, they were not being generally harmed. Now, with acid basically raining down on them, many people let out noises of alarm and distress. The ones who had been hit hissed out in pain. Not a good development.

"That can't be good." Clint flinched as he barely dodged acidic spit himself. "Those people need medical help."

Vision sent a laser beam through several of the creatures. "We do not know of any long term effects either."

Some of them had opened up umbrellas, which helped for a couple of minutes before holes burned through.

Steve noticed this. "We need a shield up over them. Cor-" He stopped abruptly.

Silence, except for the screeching of the monsters and their own attacks.

The captain muttered under his breath. "Sorry, I-"

"Don't sweat it." Falcon said quietly.

"We were all thinking it anyway."

* * *

"Morning." A voice echoed.

She laughed as Loki whipped around, eyes comically wide. He exhaled sharply. "Borghild."

But as he went towards her, she dissipated. He turned around knowingly, his surprise now mingling with pride.

"How was that?" The real elf grinned from ear to ear.

"I fear my position as the trickster of Asgard may be compromised." He replies dryly, but smirking all the same.

A small smile played on her lips. The tips of her ears were pink as she tucked a strand of her behind her ear. "Well, you do not have to worry about that any longer...I am leaving for Midgard."

Loki gave her a puzzled look. "Alright?...I doubt Odin would allow it, but you could ask."

She shook her head. "He cannot- _nobody_ can know. That's why I am asking this of you. Do you have a way into Midgard?"

"Why do you need to go to Midgard, of all the places?" He sidetracked. "There's nothing there."

She avoided his gaze. "It does not matter. I just need a hidden path, a portal. Loki, please. I am sure you know of a way."

She was aware that Loki knew of weak links between the realms. Ever since he was a child, he rarely trained and sparred with Thor and the other warriors. He often opted to explore by himself. Several thousand years of this has lead to many discoveries of gaps in space and time. Like a glitch, passing through the specific point would transport someone just as quickly as the Bifrost.

He had revealed this to her tentatively after deciding to trust her. Loki had brought her along to one of the portals, and they spent the day in a settlement on the edge of Vanaheim. It had been a fun and thrilling day, knowing that Odin had no idea at all.

"I do." He admitted, a bit confused. The urgency in her voice caused his jaw to clench. What was making her so panicked? "I'll help you."

Borghild gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you."

He couldn't help but think he would regret this.

* * *

Corinne awoke groggily. For a second, she was alarmed at her surroundings. This was not the tower, and definitely not a HYDRA base. It eventually came back to her as she lay there. Her body and mind still felt tired as if she hadn't slept at all. It was as if she had followed into her memories and done everything.

Her memories.

She filtered through them confusedly. The dreams, true to Alva's word, were clear as day as if they were only yesterday. There was an overload of them. Years and years of experiences had been shoved into her mind.

The only problem was they were the wrong ones.

She stumbled out of the room in a haste. Winding through several hallways, she peeked into each room until she spotted the back of Alva.

The elf's ear seemed to twitch in her direction before she turned to her. "You're awake. How was it?"

How should she put this? "...I got my memories, but they're not mine. In the dreams, I was Borghild."

Alva's eyebrows shot up. "Well, you _are_ Borghild. It makes sense that the draught could do this. You retrieved only half of your memories, so perhaps the other half is the one you want." Alva trailed off, amused and thoughtful. "Did you enjoy your time as Borghild?"

Corinne's mind went back to the overload of images in her head. It was mostly being raised in beautiful Álfheim, and pouring over tomes on magic. She remember seeing Alva frequently too. Later, it was fine tuning defense systems, and visiting her friend when she was in Asgard…Loki.

"It was...interesting. Borghild seemed like good friends with Loki."

Alva's warm smile became strained. "Is that what Midgardians call it?"

"What?"

Alva shook her head, turning around to roll up the scroll she was looking at. "Your dream has already took two days on Midgard. I believe you want to return now, yes?"

* * *

**Next chapter's preview is on the new tumblr I made for Deterrence!**

**It's deterrencefic dot tumblr dot com !**

**There's pictures, gifs, and the old drabbles. I will be updating it probably more frequently than I do here, with word count updates and etc. And you guys can ask me stuff there too, if you want. There's an anonymous option and everything.**

**By the time I post this chapter, I think there'll be a drabble or two up there. (I think it's Bucky/Corinne)**

**All new drabbles will be on the tumblr from now on, but you can still request here in the reviews if you want to.**

**I will probably post some new prompts for you all to choose from soon. It's been a while.**

**Hope you guys like it!**

**11.07.15.**

 

 


	20. Chapter 20

**CIVIL WAR TRAILER, AM I RIGHT? AMAZING.**

**Ok first things first, NEW DRABBLE over at the tumblr. An anon gave me a prompt where Corinne is pregnant? It's sorta cracky and has no confirmed pairings but it was fun to write. Check it out if it's your sort of thing.**

**I'm also working on two other prompts anons gave me. Ones Bucky and/or Steve snowed/rained in with Corinne during a mission, and they confess. And the other's almost green Bruce and Corinne trapped in an enclosed space, Corinne's trying to stop it, and they confess somehow.**

* * *

Corinne smiles sadly at Alva as they stand in front of the Bifrost stamp. As soon as she's ready, Corinne would step on it, and Heimdall would bring her back home.

"I will come back." Corinne shifts uncomfortably. The guilt is suffocating.  _Think of them. They're waiting._  "I promise."

A cloud of violet passes through Alva's strange, changing eyes. She blinks as if a thought has come to her, but she doesn't say anything.

Alva just nods. "I know."

It was a small funeral.

* * *

The Avengers were all there, of course. Even those that did not know her that well came. The rest were varied people from Corinne's life. Friends, classmates, and professors. Not an odd uncle or aunt in sight.

Surprisingly, there had been no family to contact.

When they spent time at the Tower, she would mention her family and childhood once in a while. Out of all of them, she had perhaps the most normal one. It had always been interesting to hear what they were like. But it was only now that they realized that Corinne hadn't told them what happened to them, what they were doing now.

The group of superheroes were not officially Corinne's family, but the mourners seemed to come to their own conclusions. They gravitated towards them to give their condolences and share stories of the deceased woman.

The stories were entertaining and gave new perspectives of their friend. They learned more things about her than they expected. As much as they laughed, however, they couldn't help but feel the empty regret. The stories made them realize how much they had missed. How much they will miss.

A mousy looking professor smiled fondly at a memory she recited it to the team. Despite her outward maturity when they met her, Corinne had apparently been  _the_ prankster during her undergraduate years. They weren't harmful or annoying ones, just genuinely bizarre ones that would get a laugh out of everyone during those stressful weeks.

They chuckled in response to a particular prank as she shook her head "She was a great student that I was lucky enough to teach. Always so interested and engaged." The professor sighed, looking in the direction of the open coffin. "It's a shame she never finished her research and degree. She was working so hard on it too-well, before she took that long leave of absence."

Their smiles became strained at the mention of Corinne's capture. Suspicions were high in media once they had known she was an Avenger. As if her death wasn't enough, they began pulling apart her life and examining the details. Her disappearance from Culver and the rest of the world raised many questions.

"She was always excited about science." Tony said. "One of the first things we learned about her, actually."

The original Avengers shared knowing grins as their mind flashed back to the Battle of New York. The mutual, tired atmosphere of the Shawarma shop that had been abruptly interrupted by Corinne. Her entrance, realization, and obvious effort to ignore them had been absolutely comedic.

Maybe they should have let her go that day.

"I don't think she could have hid her love for it if she could." Natasha commented. The rest was reminded of how her demeanor would just brighten up at a mere mention.

"A true scientist." The professor nodded. "Culver will miss her."

The woman shuffled off, and they glanced back at where Corinne lay.

"She died in the middle of so much." Wanda said blankly. She looked over the arrangement. The coffin was a warm oak and surrounded by bundles of daffodils-her favourite. The bursts of bright colours contrasted the somber mood.

But in their lives, she had always been bright like the flowers.

"Bruce and I never helped her finish her personal research." Tony muttered guiltily. "She never knew what caused her powers or what she is-was. Oh my god."

No one said anything. They just gazed towards the coffin contritely.

The string music that had been playing softly in the background halted.

"Can everyone please grab a seat? The ceremony will begin shortly."

As everyone migrated to the chairs, a woman climbed the raised stage. She stood behind the podium.

"Hello everyone, thanks for joining us today. For those who don't know me, I'm Beth, and I had known Corinne since kindergarten. It's…" Beth took a shuddering breath, "still unbelievable to me how her life ended in the middle of so much, but I'd like to say a few words. Corinne was one of the kindest people I've known. She always thought of others first. Our group of friends used to joke about it being her downfall, her undoing...But unfortunately, it was.

In high school, we were both on the basketball team. It was senior year, and we had finally reached finals. I remember the game was intense-closely tied. Corinne had the ball and was close to the basket. Time was ticking and she could have given us the point, but someone on the other team fell, hard. She didn't even wait to think. Needless to say, she stopped to go help her. Our coach was  _pissed_."

Everyone laughed at that.

This seemed to quell any nervousness Beth had. It was much easier now that she was caught up in the memory of her friend. And now she realized that everyone in front of her was just happy to listen to these little moments. She shuffled her cue cards.

"I was just as in the dark about her Avenger status as everyone else. Again, I should have guessed it. It sounds just like her to dedicate her life to saving others. I think, for all of us who knew her, we knew in the back of our minds that she would leave us this way. Selflessly."

Pietro fought to hold back a wince.

A beam of rainbow light cut through the clouds to hit the grass behind them. The civilians let out panicked shrieks and screams, and the superheroes immediately took control of the situation. They directed the people away while placing themselves in front of whatever had interrupted the funeral.

"What is that?-" Beth started, but Sam shook his head.

"Don't worry, we'll handle this. Come on…"

Clint squinted at the light, and turned to Thor. "Is that?…"

"It is the Bifrost." Thor confirmed, in confusion himself. A creeping hope rose within him, but he tried not to grab onto it. It could be someone else.

"Is it one of your friends?" Tony asked. He tapped rapidly at his tablet for his suit. None of them had anticipated this happening at their friend's funeral of all places.

The light dissipated, leaving one lone figure in the middle of the Bifrost stamp.

They fell into a defensive stance and watched the figure suspiciously. Anger ignited in them at the interruption of what was supposed to honor Corinne's life. The newcomer's back faced them, but their head turned towards the Avengers.

They struggled to hold back their gasps and sounds of disbelief.

Dressed in strange attire was the very same person who laid in a coffin not too far away.

How  _dare_ this alien do this. Of all the forms to take, they just had to be  _her_.

The Corinne doppelganger's face broke into a smile at the sight of them. "Hey."

She faltered slightly at the way they were looking at her.

Corinne saw Wanda's eyes aglow, and felt Wanda's magic sifting through the front of her mind. She let it happen. They deserved that much.

Pietro was fidgeting, stuck between going up to her and rationally keeping his distance. Corinne feels a wave of relief wash over her at the sight of him alive and well.

Clint had been ushering his family away, but halted now, staring flabbergasted.

Natasha had gotten a gun from somewhere and aimed at her. She looked ready to use it, but there's doubt in her eyes.

Tony was muttering to FRIDAY as his tablet does a scan on her. She swears she hears FRIDAY report that she's human.

Vision was just studying her with interest, glancing back at Wanda for her confirmation.

Steve's jaw was set. His gaze was intense as he took her in like a drowning man. His body had moved towards her on its own, and he had to hold himself back from running towards her.

Thor just looked at her with a relieved expression. From what Alva told her, he had been fully aware of what happened.

It was then she scanned where she had landed. There were flowers, chairs facing a coffin, and gravestones in the distance…

"Is this my funeral?" She asked while slowly moving towards a floral display. Daffodils, her favourite. "This is actually...pretty good. I guess now I know I can trust you guys to-"

She doesn't see it all. There's maybe a quick nod from Wanda and then a flurry of movement before she feels herself lose her balance.

"We are never planning your funeral again." Steve sounds wrecked as his arms nearly crush her.

There's other arms around her too, she realizes. It's a tangled mess of limbs that would have crushed her if not for somebody supporting most of the weight. Thor, maybe? Steve?

A couple of them shake with either shocked laughter or sobs. Corinne feels warm and light as she is literally surrounded by her friends. Even without a complete memory, she knows that this is where she belongs. Her vision blurs her friends,  _her family_ , into blobs of colour.

"Where did you-"

"How did this  _even_ -"

"Your body is right over-"

"Wait!" Tony exclaims. "I think the most important question is: Why are you dressed like you're going to go LARP?"

" _Tony_." Several bite out exasperatedly. Corinne rolls her eyes as an instinct, but can't help the bubbly happiness as she gets to endure Tony's eccentricity again.

To think that she could have missed out on all of this...

Corinne notices Wanda throw her an incredulous look. The other woman had finished going through her head and it seems like she saw enough. She can only imagine how bizarre it would be for another person.

She opens her mouth, only to close to close it again. Where does she even begin? "Uh…"

Something flashes and they're brought back to where they are. Some curious people in the area had been drawn in by the Bifrost beam, and were snapping pictures of Corinne on their phones.

That's going to be a mess.

"Maybe we should go somewhere else."

* * *

Somehow they manage to not start discussing until they get to the new Avengers base.

It's still full of tension, though. But since they had to separate into groups to get there, everyone had to hold back their questions so that they would know everything together.

Every now and then one of them would just stare at her. She couldn't blame them. If she was in their shoes, she would constantly fall back into doubt too. She was only gone for a few days, but for them, it was more than a week. To them, it must be like seeing a ghost.

As soon as they settled onto the large couch, the questions were unleashed once again. She smiles through them, just relieved they're not angry at her. Yet.

"So did you actually die?" She manages to pick out Clint's question over the rabble.

"I died." Steve flinches beside her, along with some of the others. Maybe that wasn't the best way to go about it. Corinne fidgets with the flowy material of her dress. "This elf- _light elf_ , different from the ones in London, revived me with magic."

"Why would they?" Natasha presses suspiciously, but not unkindly.

"Because…" Was there any other way to put this? "It turns out that I'm an elf, too."

They stare at her.

Wanda and Thor are the only composed ones. The others are either confused, surprised, or a mixture of both.

Pietro laughs. "This is a joke, yes? You cannot be an alien."

Steve nods as he studies her. "You look...human."

"I'm pretty sure this might have come up when we were studying your DNA?" Tony argues. "I know you just came back from death and all, but do you need a psych eval?"

Corinne shook her head. "The elves were keeping an eye on me when we did the research. They couldn't come get me because of some...reasons." The two former SHIELD agents narrowed their eyes at her omittance. Oops. "They stopped us from finding anything out."

Alva had explained it all to her. Afterwards, it made sense why there was that one time she swore she saw something, but it disappeared when she looked closer. Alva admitted they held it back because they wanted to be the ones to explain.

"As far as I know," she continued, "I'm mostly human. Elves kind of transfer their magic when they die and are considered the same person. Like reincarnation? There was this elf named Borghild who did that and now is, apparently, me."

"She speaks of the truth." Thor finally spoke up. "I knew Borghild."

Corinne smiles at him, and though she's not sure if it helps, she still appreciates it. The memory of being introduced to Odin's sons when she first went to Asgard was still clear as day. Seeing him now was disconcerting. Thor had been significantly rowdier and more arrogant back then.

"You've got to be kidding me." Someone groans.

"It's cool."

"This is interesting." Vision comments, head tilting curiously. There's awed fascination in his voice. "The Norse said there were nine realms, and if there are light elves, they must be on...Álfheim?"

She nods. "I stayed there for the most part, but I haven't really explored. I will probably do that though, because uh, I am going back sometime. They need my help...with things."

Everyone ruminates the new information for a few moments. There's no way they would act towards her differently, but she still messes with her elven bracelet anxiously. A larger hand covers her own to quell its movements. The warmth of it is familiar and soothing.

Steve grins easily at her. "You're still you. Just, don't leave for a while, okay?"

"I bet that realm isn't as great as Earth anyway." Tony interjects. Thor begins to say something, but Tony glares at him. The demigod humors him by staying silent.

"You have a lot to make up for." Wanda says meaningfully.

"We thought you were a goner." Natasha crosses her arms. "That was not a good time."

Corinne nods, trying not to be teary again. "Yeah." She clears her throat when her voice comes out odd. "Yeah, I'm staying for a bit. As long as I can." Her shoulders slump forward as she sags in relief and exhaustion.

"I think Corinne here needs some shut eye." Natasha observes.

"Yeah, she looks  _dead on her feet._ " Tony chortles much to the dismay of his friends.

FRIDAY intercepts before any more puns could be made. Even the AI sounds fed up. "Miss Lin, I'll show you to your temporary room. Please follow the lights I've lit up for you."

She must look hesitant because Wanda sighs. "We can continue this after your nap. You look like you will collapse. Last time...was not good."

"We have a lot to process too. It's probably good for all of us to think for a bit." Clint shrugs.

Everyone utters their own noises of agreement, and begin to disperse into their own paths. Several of them linger behind, trying to casually stay with Corinne for a little longer. The miraculousness of her reappearance hadn't worn off quite yet.

"Hey, Corinne?" Steve calls out in slight hesitation as she gets up. He has his hand on her arm, and it's this motion that makes her realize how touchy he's been. Even when they were getting here, he's always been close to her.

"Yeah?" She responds, facing him. The way he's looking at her breaks her heart. It's like he's afraid she will disappear right in front of his eyes.

No wonder he had been constantly near her.

"I just, when you were gone, it hit all of us hard. And I realized that…" He trails off, looking stricken as she gazes back at him. He swallows audibly and shakes his head. "I missed you, that's all."

She hugs him. "I missed you too. God, you're making me cry."

His wet laugh is slightly muffled by her hair, but he squeezes her tighter. She can feel his deep breaths with how closely she's pressed against him. He holds her for several moments, as if re cataloguing how it feels to embrace her. "Good. It's payback for making me and everyone else cry so much. Even just now, when you were explaining, it felt like a dream. I can't believe you're here."

"Break it up, shield squared. The rest of us wanna catch up with her before she has her nap time too." Clint has his arms crossed, mockingly stern.

"Shield squared?" Corinne repeats, her tone teasing.

"You both use shields. Together, you're shield squared." Tony shouts from some other room.

She stifles a snort. "Who came up with this?"

"I suggested double shield." Natasha replies smoothly.

"I do not understand," says Vision, "doubling or squaring implies multiplying."

Thor nods in agreement. "You two cannot become a square or multiply…"

"Um." Corinne sweats. Luckily, Wanda comes to her rescue, pulling Vision aside to explain. Pietro looks like he's having the time of his life.

Tony waggles his eyebrows.

Corinne gives him a dirty look. "I didn't come back from death for this."

* * *

**I had trouble juggling all the new Avengers. There's just...so many? How do I even write Vision? Anyway I decided to focus on the old pals in the end. Like Steve, her bestie (or more, whatever floats your boat). If something's a bit off, I'll try to fix it in the next chap. The twins gotta have a long talk with Corinne sometime.**

I hope the reactions lived up to expectations, though. I tried to avoid any cliche sort of lines, but I think I failed that lol. Either way I gotta keep up the 'at least one update per month' promise, so this is the result.

**Look out for those two new drabbles on the tumblr I made for this fic if you have the time. I'll probably post them mid week, maybe?...Hopefully.**

Thanks for everything! Love you guys.

**11.27.15.**


	21. Chapter 21

It's disconcerting to wake up in yet another new setting.

How many times has this happened so far?

 _At least_ , she thinks,  _I'm back home. On Earth._

Putting on a set of clothes she found in the closet, Corinne fumbles her way through the new facility until FRIDAY starts guiding her. This place was completely different from the tower. The layout of it had no resemblance to the old base, but everything was just as state of the art.

The hallways seem to go on forever until she comes across an eye-catching room. Behind what looks like thick panes of glass is gear. The uniforms, the weapons, and all the other gadgets.

"Awake already? Morning." Someone says behind her. They brush past her towards the door of the room. Sam.

"Morning." She replies, looking curiously on as he rushes into the room after a hand scan. "What's the rush? Is there another invasion already?" She looks behind herself, expecting the rest of the crew to barge in.

Sam barks out a laugh as he straps on his wings. "Nah, that would suck a lot for you, yeah? I'm just checking on something up on the roof-you don't have to suit up."

"Why is it only you?" She eyed the other suits still on the mannequins.

She swore she heard him mutter something about being the newbie before he spoke. "The others are in a pretty important meeting, or just busy."

Corinne can see why Steve befriended Sam. It was hard not to. The man was open, easy going, and just nice.

"Can I come anyway?" She asked. If they were all busy, then she would just interrupt them. She could waste some time. Besides, something told her that Sam would find something interesting. "I'll just stay a little bit behind you, out of your way."

Sam regarded Corinne for a beat, then shrugged and jogged towards the elevator. "If you feel up to it, sure."

The elevator makes no stops and goes straight to the rooftop, thanks to FRIDAY.

She keeps her word and watches Falcon's back as he scans about at the front. There's a set to his shoulders and posture that differs from when they were in the elevator. With the way he inspects the rooftop, it isn't hard to tell that he had military experience.

"I had a sensor trip, but I'm not seeing anything." Falcon says, both to her and the support back downstairs. He glances about some more, and freezes. "Wait a second."

"What is it?" Corinne asks quietly, not having the aid of his goggles.

Sam throws up a hand, stopping her from going any closer. "I can see you." He calls out to, well, nobody. To her, anyway.

She's proven wrong as a man seems to materialise, no, expand from thin air.

"Hi, I'm Scott."

 _Magic_? She automatically thinks due to her recent, prolonged exposure to it.  _No, it's tech._ She amends as she observes the man's silver and red suit.

"What are you doing here?" Sam demands.

The man in the silver and red suit doesn't have killing intent in his eyes. Instead, it's almost humorous. "First off-I'm a big fan."

"I appreciate it."

Scott peers around Sam and looks at her inquisitively. "Hey, aren't you the dead one?"

"Yup." Corinne replies casually, popping the p.

"Huh." He blinks. "Big fan of you too."

"Thanks." She smiles, shrugging as Sam shoots her a look. Without turning his head fully, though. He was careful to avoid losing sight of the intruder.

She's had her fill of HYDRA and other not so well meaning people. She was wary of this guy at first, but not anymore. Her intuition told her he wasn't anyone to worry about. She had been right about Wanda and Pietro, hadn't she?

Sam reverts his full attention back to Scott. "Who the hell are you?"

"I'm Ant Man."

"Ant Man?" Even Sam cannot help letting a shadow of a grin escape.

"What, you haven't heard of me?" Scott winces. "Nah, you wouldn't have heard of me."

Corinne stifles a laugh at the absurdity.

"You wanna tell me what you want?"

"I was hoping I could grab a piece of technology. Just for a few days-I'm going to return it." Scott pointed. "I need it to save the world...you know how that is."

"I know exactly how it is." Sam approaches Scott, reaching out to grab his shoulder. "Located the breach, bringing him in."

"Sorry about this!"

With a blink, the man is gone again. Or rather, small again. Corinne shouts in surprise as Sam is hit with surprising strength.

"Where is he?" She yells to him urgently. "I can't see him without the goggles, but I can bubble him with a shield."

"No, I've got this! Stay here or Cap's gonna kill me." Falcon zooms away in pursuit of Ant Man. Sentinel watches as he leaps and stomps at someone too small to see. Occasionally, Ant Man would revert back to his full size before shrinking again.

She's floated down and neared the skirmish just as the man is gone again. Sam let out a groan, having landed on his back in the grass. Something, a fly or some insect, buzzes by her ear. She watches it fly past her towards the door.

Without much thought, she bubbles the creature. But Ant Man drops off the insect just as she bubbles it. Another insect zooms underneath to catch the falling man. She lets the bubble dissipate exasperatedly.

She squints to see it fly towards one of the base's warehouses. "Think he's in there?" Sentinel asks.

Falcon nods and gets to his feet. "Definitely small enough."

The doors open and close for them. The corridor is so dark Corinne has to take a minute to let her eyes adjust. They don't get that minute.

Sam's wings had suddenly spread and started to ascend on its own. By his shocked exclamations, he hadn't planned on this.

Corinne tries to bubble him but his movements are too erratic, too out of control.

"He's inside my pack!" Sam shoots out of the building.

Corinne rushes over on a shield, and winces as Sam's dragged across the ground. "Where is he now?"

Sam looks all around him, but shakes his head. "Goggles are busted. He's gone."

"That's too bad." Corinne says, not meaning it at all. Sam rolls his eyes at her.

"It's really important to me that Cap never finds out about this." Falcon said into his comm. He looks pointedly at Corinne. "Seriously."

She smiled innocently. 'I was never here."

* * *

"You weren't too surprised back there." Sam remarked as they went back into the facility. According to him, most of the others would be out of their meeting by now. "Something I should get used to?"

She shrugged. "There are worse things out there."

"Do you handle those things just as well?" He shot her a lopsided grin.

For a moment, she thinks about it. This past year had given her plenty of mental and emotional damage, and more than enough fuel for night terrors. If she hadn't been so exhausted from travelling between dimensions, she would have had nightmares. However, she was still here, right? Could be worse.

"Well enough." She smiles with what she hopes looks like ease.

The jovial glint in Sam's eyes disappears for a second before returning. He's seen right through her lie. "If you ever want to help the other guys handle it well, feel free to drop by the VA."

Corinne gives him a slow nod, understanding his offer to help. She appreciated the way he did it without putting her on the spot.

"Thanks."

Sam shrugs. "Just help me find a reason to explain what happened to my pack."

"What, you're not telling Tony that a tiny man crawled inside, messed it up, and owned you?" Corinne grinned.

He shushed and shot her a false alarmed look, eyes darting around. "The  _walls_ have ears. Or specifically, FRIDAY."

"I assure you I do not have any ears, Mr. Wilson." FRIDAY interrupted. "However, I do have instructions from Mr. Stark for you two to divert your path right no-"

Corinne feels herself crash into another body.

"Sorry." She mutters as she rights herself. The sentiment isn't returned like it usually is.

"Corinne Lin."

A greying man stands before her, stance strong and screaming military. Something about his face, his moustache mostly, reminds her of somebody. Somebody who was on the news several years back, around the time Harlem was-

"General Ross." Sam greets, his posture back to rigid. The laid back friend is gone, replaced by the soldier.

General Ross nods at him absentmindedly, attention on Corinne. She felt like she was some subject in an experiment. Again. "I just finished a meeting regarding your...return, among other things. Did you know that the media had managed to match a name to your face while you were 'dead'?"

"No, but I guess it would have happened eventually." She replies uncertainly. Something tells her that her every word was going to be analyzed thoroughly.

"If that never happened, would you have done it yourself?"

She looked back in confusion.

General Ross continued. "Your abilities are very powerful. Behind that hood of yours, you could have done anything."

"My hood was to protect my identity." She had a life to keep separate from Avengering back then.

"But what protects the rest of the world from people like you?"

Sam tensed even more. "Sir-"

Corinne felt offended. "What? I wouldn't-"

"You said so yourself that your identity would have been revealed eventually. Would it have not been better to be known in the first place?"

Her polite demeanor strained. She could sense that Sam's patience was wearing thin too. All of his questions were more statements of his own opinions, and she didn't like how he was steering the conversation to his advantage without letting her put her input in. "I'm not sure I follow. Secret identity or not, I wouldn't be any different. It would only put family and friends in danger."

"Perhaps for you." The man agreed unconvincingly. "But there are others out there that are different. I believe they should be held accountable."

"With their identities out? Information can be very dangerous once it falls into the wrong hands, General." Corinne argued.  _To hell with politeness._ "I think we can both remember what happened with SHIELD's files and HYDRA."

Something changed in General Ross' gaze. "There's-"

"General Ross, your flight will be departing very soon." FRIDAY's voice rang through before things escalated.

"Accountability. Think about it, Ms. Lin." The general said before striding past them.

"That was intense. And confusing." Corinne tells Sam as soon as they hear the man's footsteps fade away.

"That guy's been hovering a lot lately. Don't worry about it." He replies, obviously brushing it off.

She wracked her mind and tried to figure out why the name General Ross rang a bell. "Wait, wasn't he-and Bruce? The whole Harlem disaster. Was he here for Bruce?"

"No…" Sam says. He's picking at his damaged goggles. "He was only here to figure out what to do with the press, since you know, pictures of you alive are all over the place."

"Oh. Is Bruce okay, though? I haven't seen him yet, so I assumed he must be off the grid again…"

Sam hesitates, but sighs in the end. "We don't know where he is. Dr. Banner disappeared after Sokovia-went off on his own."

Despite Sam's assurances that Bruce was fine, Corinne couldn't help but worry. Why did he do it? Will he come back?

The team somehow gathers at the kitchen around the same time. Corinne and Sam walk in to see that someone had ordered take out, and everyone was unpacking the containers of food. The food takes up the whole table, and half of another one. They're huge tables.

"Some things never change." She muses out loud. Though, with Thor here, it makes sense.

A scattered chorus of hellos greet the two of them as they near the table.

"I hope your stomachs are ready." Clint said, already looking queasy.

"Tony ordered this time." Natasha elaborated.

"Hey, I'm offended! You guys always like my the stuff I order."

"Hm." Steve feigns complemplation.

"I, for one, enjoy the food you select!" Thor declares loudly, but genuinely as always.

Tony gestures at him. "See? Thank you, Thor."

"That's cause he's got a demigod stomach." Clint murmurs to Corinne just loudly enough for her to catch. She lets out a huff of laughter in response. "Our mortal stomachs just can't handle it."

They dig into it, nonetheless. The combinations of flavors are different and weird, but it worked after a couple bites. Food is food.

"Heard you had to handle a breach." Natasha mentions offhandedly to Sam while reaching over for another helping. "How'd it go?"

Sam choked on the bite of food he had. "Great! It went great. You can read all about it in my report later." He manages after he gets his coughing fit down. He shoots a meaningful look at Corinne.

"It wasn't too bad." She offers. "Got so into the fight that his pack needs to be repaired, but otherwise, pretty great."

Natasha just smirks knowingly.

He's quick to change the subject before it goes any further. "Corinne and I bumped into General Ross on our way here."

Steve's head snaps to her. "What?"

"What'd he say to you?" Tony frowns.

"We just talked in circles. Something about accountability and secret identities." She herself isn't even sure what the exchange had accomplished. It hadn't earned her the general's approval, that's for sure.

"That guy is up to something." Clint shakes his head. "Every time he lurks around here, I swear."

"He's handling matters on the government side of things." Natasha reasoned. "The general might not be likable, but he's getting a lot of pull lately."

"He clearly doesn't types like us, either. That's not great for someone with pull." Steve said.

Superhero types. Enhanced. Sometimes Corinne forgot how normal people might think about them differently. It must be weird for them-all the super strengthened people, alien gods, magic-

"He said something about taking care of my being alive thing. Is that...going okay?" To be honest, she hadn't thought of the public in her rush to get back.

"People are analyzing those photos of you that the passerby took. We tried to take them down, but you know, internet. Renaissance and fantasy fans went berserk." Tony replied with his mouth nearly full. Gross.

Steve cringed at Tony, but turned to Corinne. "We confirmed to the public that you're alive, but…"

"You're going to have to have a press conference sometime soon. They want answers from you." Natasha finished.

"Okay." It shouldn't be too bad, right? The Avengers minus her had had several press conferences following the Battle of New York. Celebrities had them. She's seen a couple of them on television, and that had to help somehow. Even when Fury promised a hidden identity, she has always had an inkling that she would be dragged into it. "I can do that."

"We will be right beside you." Steve assured her with a warm smile. She returned one gratefully.

Tony's eyes lit up. "On the bright side, if you're bored, you now have Illuminati conspiracy videos about yourself on Youtube."

"Oh great." Corinne said dryly.

"What is an 'Illuminati'?" Thor's brows drew together in confusion.

"Oh no." The spies groaned in unison as Tony almost leaped out of his seat in excitement.

"I know what it is!" Steve straightened up in attention.

Corinne snorted. Despite her memories not being fully restored on this half of her life, this still felt familiar. This atmosphere...she knew it was like this before HYDRA. Only now...wait. "Where's Wanda and Pietro? Vision?"

"Vision doesn't eat, so he opted not to come. As for the other two-Dunno," Tony shrugged, "FRIDAY?"

"They informed me that they did not feel like eating, sir."

Corinne pushed her chair back and got up. "Well, that's me right now. I think I'll go see if I can find them."

With a tip or two from FRIDAY, she manages to catch them.

Pietro is shuffling back and forth while Wanda is murmuring exasperatedly to him. He has the stubborn look she knows all too well on his face.

"Hey?" Corinne says as she approaches. "Haven't seen you two all day."

At her voice, Pietro seems to be startled and starts to run off-only to be stopped by scarlet magic. Pietro glares at Wanda, to which she returns with an equally deadly glare.

"Were you...avoiding me?" Corinne asks, surprised at first, but then understanding. She looks down guiltily. "It's me, isn't it? I'm sorry you had to think I was dead. You have every right to be angry. I just...hope I can make it better soon. I missed you guys."

Pietro looks at Wanda for help. She raises an eyebrow. He sighs.

"When I...died, you gave up your own life."

Corinne nodded slowly. "I didn't know it was going to happen, but I wouldn't change my mind even if I knew."

Pietro recoiled. "That's the problem. You shouldn't have. Everything I did to help HYDRA...I'm not, not-"

He halted as he felt arms wrap around him.

"You're worth saving." Corinne whispered loud enough for him to hear. "Besides, I helped HYDRA too. You're not the only one."

"But I convinced you."

"So did Wanda. Are you going to blame her?" Silence. "Then don't blame yourself."

Pietro sagged against her, but finally returned the embrace.

"You too, Wanda. Join the hug." Corinne looked over Pietro's shoulder with a grin.

As large as the facility was, Corinne couldn't help but feel restless and cramped with each passing day.

"I'm going out." She announced to the team one day. "To the city."

They cast each other looks.

"Are you sure?" Pietro said.

"Where are you going to go?" Natasha asked.

Steve furrowed his brows. "You should have someone with you."

Corinne shook her head. "I'm just going to go walk around, and see Beth." It's been so long, she had realized. With her kidnapping, Avengering, and dying. She heard Beth was there at her funeral, but she must have fled when the Bifrost activated. Corinne owed her a huge explanation. "I'll just go alone. FRIDAY can keep track of me somehow, right?"

The others hesitated. While she had been around for a couple days, it wasn't a lot compared to the months she's been gone. What if she disappeared again?

But they saw that she really wanted this, and relented. They couldn't keep her here forever, and they knew they themselves would be in her situation very often.

"You're taking three tracking devices." Tony decided, getting up and heading to his workshop.

"Gonna have to disguise yourself too, now that your face is known." Advised Clint. "I recommend the classic sunglasses and cap. Basic, but it works."

"Thanks guys." Corinne smiled as Tony came back with some minuscule metal tech.

Steve shook his head, the look in his eyes almost convincing her to stay. "Just stay safe."

* * *

**Winter break is awesome.**

12.20.15.


	22. Chapter 22

The moment Corinne opens the door, she is met with a waft of heaven.

Beth's bakery strikes another swell of emotions in her. All the little booths and tables, the counter full of mouth watering baked goods...It gives her the same feeling she had when she first went back to the Tower.

Maybe she won't need Alva's draught in the end.

It's moderately busy today. She sees Beth at the cash register, and panic seizes her. On the car ride here, she hadn't given much thought as to what she was going to say, or how Beth would react. Now, her hands shook with nervousness.

She waits until the line is almost gone before approaching the counter. Corinne had kept her cap adorned head down until now, and is surprised to see that it isn't Beth manning the cash register anymore.

_She must have gone into the kitchen while I was in line._

A woman with neon blue hair smiles brightly at her. Kathy, her name tag reads.

"Hi, how are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. Um, I was hoping to talk to Beth?"

Kathy eyes her calculatingly, but nods all the same. "Sure, I'll let her know that you're here. Is there anything else I can help you with?"

Corinne orders a coffee and cupcake absentmindedly and seats herself in a secluded booth. With her anxiety, she is far from hungry. The food is left on the table while she just fidgets with a sugar packet.

_What if she never forgives me? What if she hates me? How long have I been gone? Since SHIELD's fall, so a year and a half? That's a lot, oh my god._

Her reverie is broken when someone slides into the seat opposite her in the small booth.

She licks her dry lips and prepared herself. "Beth, I'm-"

It's not Beth.

It's a scruffy looking man with haunted, glacier coloured eyes. His hair has grown almost to his shoulders, and he is unshaved. There's a set to his jaw that she remembers, but it's his hand that gives it away.

"It's…" Words seem to be foreign to him, like they have been in disuse for a long time. "Good to see you alive."

Objectively, she realizes that this is Sergeant James Buchanan "Bucky" Barnes and the Winter Soldier. But personally…

"You tried to help me escape when I was with HYDRA." She remembers now. A hazy memory of rattling gunfire, fear, but hope. Hope that appeared in the form of a man with a metal arm. "Thank you."

He looked away. "I failed in my mission."

"I got out in the end."

Corinne stares at him. Is this how the others feel when they look at her? Someone who should be dead, yet isn't? Seeing him here, in the normality of the cafe, is disconcerting.

They're both similar, she realizes. Both of them were held by HYDRA, both of them had been at the mercy of their scientists. Both of them were missing parts of their memory, and were working towards filling in those gaps.

 _I should probably convince him to see Steve._ She sighs. _But then again, if he was ready to see him, he would have already come._  
  
Bucky nods at her, and gets up swiftly. "I just needed to know."

"Wait!" She takes hold of his hand. He stiffens, but makes no other movements. His head tilts her way to show that he was listening. Corinne takes a deep breath. "The base is safe, but I get if you don't want to come just yet. Just-let me know if I can do anything."

A ghost of a smile passes over his face. He breaks away from her grasp, and pulls his hood up. "Don't tell Steve. I need to fight HYDRA on my own right now."

The other customers in the cafe are oblivious as he strolls out the door. Corinne watches him go, feeling oddly okay with him leaving. It wouldn't do either of them any good to cause a scene, of course. But also...the way he said Steve's name gave her hope that he would return. Soon.

"I was wondering when you would come back."

Beth is finally sitting across from her, face neutral.

She's seen Beth's face in the digital files JARVIS had provided her when she returned. But seeing her in the flesh brought warm childhood memories back. Corinne realizes that she has only just remembered them now, but for Beth, she has had to live with them while knowing Corinne was gone.

"I'm sorry." Corinne blurts out. Her vision blurs and her throat closes up, but she continues. "I know I can't make it up to you like, ever, but if you'll let me-I want to explain."

Beth casts her gaze elsewhere, and for a second, Corinne's heart skips. But she looks back and nods.

With that, Corinne launches into her explanation. It might help, it might not. But just like Bucky taking down HYDRA on his own, her visit to Beth was a step towards...something.

* * *

" _What's threatening you? Who's threatening you?"_

" _It is a complicated situation, Loki."_

" _Does it matter? Borghild," he sighed, "you are sneaking off to Midgard. Normally I would encourage this kind of mischief, but this is serious."_

_Borghild glanced away, opting to inspect the thicket of trees behind her that were supposed to be the portal to Midgard. They were on the outskirts of Asgard, so far that the palace was only a speck in the distance. "This is the best solution." And it was, she was sure of it. She will step through the portal, arrive in Midgard, and…_

" _When are you coming back?" Loki pressed. His gaze was drawn to the elf's fingers tapping, and his eyes narrowed. After years of knowing her, he knew all of her tells. "You are returning, yes?"_

_Her silence scared him._

" _Borghild." He took hold of her hands, suddenly aware that if he let go, he might not see her again. His eyes searched hers desperately._

_Borghild smiled softly. But it was a bittersweet smile, all too knowing. She embraced the demigod, and Loki responded in kind. His arms locked her against his chest, afraid to let go._

" _Alva says we will." The elf said at last._

_Loki felt a bit of relief at that. Alva was often right in her Sights. "You should have said that first. The world must be ending-I am the one who is usually this dramatic." He grinned at her jokingly._

_She looked up at him, returning the grin, and then looked down. "She also predicted that everything will be different."_

_"Of course they will be. You will have adventures in Midgard, and that is more than enough to change you. I will likely be different too." The trickster reasoned smoothly. A gentle expression took over his features."But we will see each other again. I only care for that part of her vision."_

_Borghild raised a hand to his chest, where his heart was. Wisps of magic covered the area, and she solidified it so Loki's chestplate had the golden gleam of a forcefield. "A part of me to keep you safe," she murmured, "take care, Loki."_

_His heart thudded at the gesture. Giving a piece of magic like that was no small thing, and he brought a hand up to her face. His gaze held hers intently as he leaned in and-_

Corinne splashed cold water on her face, trying to erase the images of her memory dream. It was so weird to live as Borghild, to see Loki so young, so different from his present self. The Loki back then was more innocent in a way...lighter. There was no way the Loki now was once the Loki she witnessed in her memories.

"I'm Corinne Lin." She muttered to herself. "Corinne. Not Borghild."

Besides her recurring dreams, the effects of her revival have started to wear off. Instead of the itching restlessness, she feels stable again. She knows there was more to the magic Alva used than she will admit. Whatever it was, it did more than just restore the breath in her lungs and kickstart her heartbeat.

As a way of letting Corinne know her know exactly what she thought of her death, Natasha had challenged her to a spar.

Corinne saw it coming, and prepared for the worst.

"I have my fair share of not really dying. So does Clint. Missions don't always allow for good communication. Doesn't make it any better though." The spy had said while swinging out a fist. "I know you're hiding something."

Corinne had opted not to answer, and pretended to focus on fighting. Which she actually needed to, because she was fighting Black Widow.

Surprisingly, the spar _lasted_.

Which is sad when she thought about it, but this was _Natasha_. The fact that she lasted more than five minutes _while_ Natasha was pissed? There was definitely something wrong.

She found her movements much faster, her instincts sharper, her hits stronger. The uncomfortable energy in her had eased, seeming to flourish on the mats.

Her suspicions were further confirmed when, as an experiment, she actually agreed to go on a run with Steve.

She had kept up beside him and stayed alive.

It was exhilarating to be able to suddenly run at such a speed. She and Steve had passed Sam several times on the left, much to the man's dismay.

"Not you too," he had said while panting, "now there's two of you!"

Steve, much like Natasha, had given her an odd look. "Is this...a light elf thing?"

"I don't know," she admitted honestly, "it might be. Feels weird, though."

But the energy in her had dissipated now. It was slightly disappointing, but at the same time relieving. While it had been great to keep up with some of her friends, it didn't feel natural.

She settled into the facility relatively quickly. Some of her belongings at the tower were moved to her new room. She helped run the facility and went out on a mission or two. Nothing too serious or world threatening. On her downtime, she reconnected with the others and tried to make sense of her life.

"I don't know what to do next." Corinne had said in a rush out to Steve after a training session. "I keep telling myself one thing at a time, but, I don't have any long term goals? Should I go back to school? I just-am I making any sense?"

Steve looked at her with understanding in his eyes. "Like so much has happened or changed that your old goals seem...different?"

" _Yes_." Corinne nodded vigorously.

"I know the feeling." Steve said. "Still feel it sometimes. I don't think you can really do anything about it, sorry. As much as I hated hearing it myself, you just have to find something you want to do. Something that makes you happy."

"I know, but…" She sighed. "Thank you. I feel better that I'm not the only one."

"It's more common than you'd think. Don't feel bad about it. Do you have some ideas?" He glanced down at the paper pile in his arms and cursed. "Forgot that file, the one with the…"

Corinne closed her eyes and reached outwards with her arm. Steve looked at her with furrowed brows.

"Corinne?"

Something was flying towards them, and as he squinted, he saw that it was the very file he was looking for. He caught it, and noticed a shard of something glowing yellow on it.

"I control where my shields and magic go, so if it's attached, I can summon things to myself. Look," Corinne reached out again, catching a something metal that jingled, "never losing keys again."

"Like Thor." Steve smiled in amusement.

Corinne nodded. "Only less epic."

They continued walking. "You could always work for Tony," Steve grinned at her grimace, "I am, technically. Most of the new SHIELD is under Stark Industries. You work for Stark, you work for Hill. Almost like old times."

"I guess." She said noncommittally. "The rest of the world assumes I've already signed the contract."

The press conference had happened two days ago, and it had gone as well as it could. With nearly all of Stark Industries' PR team and lawyers advising her behind the scenes by her comm, she hadn't needed to worry about saying the wrong thing or answering the wrong question.

It had mostly been general questions about her involvement in Avengers affairs. There were a few probing questions about her past, but she managed to dance around those questions. A couple asked where she got her abilities, to which she responded that it was a mystery. Corinne didn't think they would react well to her being an alien-not so soon, anyway.

But most importantly, she had confirmed that she is staying as an Avenger. And yes, her moniker is Sentinel.

It had been startling to be known by so many people now. For her, it's been mere days for her "death", but for the rest of the world, it's been longer. So when she suddenly became a celebrity, it felt like it had happened overnight. Corinne's used to being partly in the shadows in her Avenging all this time, but she was now finally in the light.

A high pitched noise suddenly interrupts their conversation.

Steve and Corinne immediately put their defenses up. Steve stands in front of her as instinct, and Corinne envelops them in a shield.

The Bifrost destroys the lawn once again. They see two figures on the stamp once the light dissipates, and Corinne sighs in relief as she recognizes one of them.

"It's fine. Just Alva and a guard, I think." Corinne tells Steve.

He nods, relaxing marginally. "Any idea why she's here?"

"Yeah." She frowns. It was time to face her past as Borghild and all that entailed. Time to know what exactly her role in Álfheim is. "I just didn't expect it to be so soon."

"Something has happened in Álfheim that requires you to come immediately, princess." Alva says quickly to her once she's within hearing range. The elf's more harried than Corinne's ever seen. It must be something pretty big.

"Yeah, of course." Corinne replies.

Steve shifts beside her. When she glances at him, he mouths 'princess?' at her silently, confused.

"The Avengers would be happy to help." He offers as Corinne starts following Alva and the guard to the Bifrost stamp.

Alva turns and finally takes a look at Steve. Her otherworldly gaze is indifferent as she takes him in. "That will not necessary. This is not something for Midgardians, however enhanced they are." The elf turns her back on him and continues striding to the giant mark in the grass.

Corinne hesitates to follow her. It's clear that Alva is in a hurry, so there's no way she can say goodbye properly to the rest of her friends.

" _Your Majesty._ " Alva calls out impatiently ahead.

"One second!" Corinne replies, throwing her arms around Steve in a brief hug. "I'll see you later, I guess. Gotta go to space. Say bye to the others for me." She smiles sheepishly.

Steve glances at the newcomers with caution, but smiles down at Corinne softly. "Stay safe, _princess_." He teases. "You better explain _that_ when you get back."

"I will. Don't argue with Tony too much-I don't want a war when I come back!" She waves before running after the waiting Alva.

* * *

**Happy new year! One last update before school starts.**

**This begins the whole alfheim elf thing. If that's not your thing, you can always skip til may ish, when civil war comes out. Hopefully i'd have watched it, and figured out Corinne's part in it.**

 

**1.02.16.**


	23. Chapter 23

**If you want to skip this chapter, it's all good. This begins the whole exploring Corinne as Borghild and Alfheim thing, so if it's not your cup of tea, you can skip til May for civil war haha.  
**

* * *

To say that Álfheim is different is an understatement.

As the blinding light of the Bifrost fades away and Corinne regains her vision, the once relatively quiet palace is bustling with activity. Armored guards similar to the one that's been accompanying her and Alva march throughout the courtyard. In the distance she could see plumes of smoke, colourful rather than the usual grey, reaching the clouds.

Alva doesn't spare them a glance. She turns around to face her, hand resting lightly on Corinne's and the guard's arm. "Teleporting. Hold your breath, this is going to feel like a pull."

And it does. Immediately after her warning, Corinne feels her entire being being pulled _hard_ towards somewhere.

When she feels herself completely together and settled, they are in darkness. It doesn't stay dark for long though, as the room is flooded with light at the sound of a snap.

The casual use of so many kinds of magic at once surprises Corinne. But she decides not to comment it on it for now, with the larger problem still at hand.

Alva makes her way to the center of the room, where Corinne recognizes something familiar. It's a model of a city under a dome. Like the one in Asgard, only this one is of Álfheim. Borghild must have made this one too, with the familiar energy pulsing through the dome. The yellow light, _her_ _magic_ she thinks, almost sings to her.

"Do you still want your memories back? The ones that you originally wanted." Alva brings her attention away from her observations.

"I..." She was managing alright back on earth without them. "It would be nice, but I'm in no rush." She tilted her head curiously. "So what happened? What do you need me to do?"

Alva sighed heavily. "The elf who makes the memory draught is gone. There has been breaches in the defenses. We need you to mend them." She pointed out several gaps in the dome. Now that Corinne looked closer, she could see that dozens of imperfections in the shield.

"Of course." Corinne nodded, reaching out to send a burst of magic to fix a crack.

"Be careful not to use too much magic at once-it will damage you overtime. It will take a long time to return the shield to its former state, so you will need to stay here." Alva jerked her head towards the guard that had been standing quietly in the corner. "He will be your personal guard until it is safe again."

He bowed deeply without a word, hand over his heart.

"Okay…" She paused in her mending. The mysterious cause of the damage suddenly on her mind. "But what's on the other side of the shield? There were a lot of soldiers outside just now. Are they?…"

"Stopping the elves that helped with your capture, yes. They are breaking down in the barrier." Alva regarded her thoughtfully. "Perhaps it is time for you to know what is exactly happening in Álfheim.

We have been at war for several centuries now, ever since the king and queen died. The Seven tried their best to keep things under control...but of course, several saw the opportunity and decided to take the throne for themselves. I am one of the remaining Seven, actually committed to Álfheim-you can meet the others later, if you wish. However, out of all of them who left, the one who is the greatest threat, the one that's been breaking down shields-is Ove.

The sound of their name sent a chill down Corinne's spine. "What's their specialty?"

"Mind control." Alva replied solemnly. "Of anything and anyone he can see."

"That's…" Corinne paused, reminded of her friend Wanda, "hard to fight against."

"He can do it to thousands of elves. Much of Álfheim is already under his command, each city felled by a glance until he's reached this capital." Alva drew her attention to the smaller, but completely demolished, glass domes further away from the main one.

Corinne tried to imagine how powerful he was. Wanda did five at the most and that was strenuous. If this elf could do so many…

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you last this long against him?"

"Gulbrand and the soldiers have been pushing against his forces. But other than that, our only defense is this." Alva stroked the fractured dome with slightly shaky gentleness. "Borghild's barriers shield everything. Objects, people, people's minds. And now, he's found a way to break through." Alva's voice trailed off into a low murmur, taking a sorrowful quality. "I hate it when my visions come true."

Corinne's heart felt heavy. She had not seen much of Álfheim, but the thought of a whole _realm_ of elves losing their minds to one person was definitely wrong. Whether he was right for the throne or not, the way he rose to it was not right.

"I will send you back to Midgard before he takes over, of course." Alva reassured her unnecessarily. Her mind was already set.

"Have you seen a future where he's defeated?"

The elf faltered, taken back. She smiled sadly as she realized where Corinne was going. "Yes, but compared to the times where I've seen him storm this palace, this room…"

Corinne shook her head resolutely. "I'm going to stay. I'll fix the shields and if he breaks them again, I'll make more. I'll help fight back."

Alva gave her a perceptive look. "You do not have to do all of that. You do not have to be Borghild."

"I'm not being her." She looked at the model of Álfheim, imagining each individual that lived there, that would be losing their will against him. She felt the same feeling she felt in Sokovia, and earlier. She couldn't remember it exactly, but the feeling was a familiar one. "I'm going to do this as me." She stated as firmly as possible.

The elf blinked. Then a soft smile appeared on her face. "Thank you."

After it was clear that most of her energy was spent, Alva ushered her to her chambers. Or, Borghild's old room. It didn't matter. Corinne followed drowsily into the room suited for a princess without much thought, opting instead to focus on getting some sleep. The huge use of magic for the giant shield had drained her. She had completely covered a couple holes in the shield, but the largest feat was perhaps the gaping crack north. Alva had told her that it was likely where Ove was, and the source of the coloured smoke. She could only seal a fractional amount, with the way they were continually attacking the spot. Any progress she had made would probably be gone by the time she went back, but they'd figure something out...

Amusement sparked in Alva's eyes as she stood in the doorway. "Just let Hemming know if you need me or anything. He will be right outside."

"Okay." Corinne muttered well after Alva had left. Her eyelids drooped but she blinked rapidly to stay awake. Who is?..."Hemming?" She called out in confusion.

The door creaked open in an instant. "Yes, Your Highness?" The guard took a scan of her room while responding.

"Nothing, sorry." She let her heavy eyes shut. "Thank you." She added as an afterthought. It probably wasn't comprehensible.

* * *

" _Ove."_

" _Princess Borghild." A man with eyes like a mirror, no, a magnifying glass stood before her. "How are you? I heard about the king and queen's health..."_

" _I am worried, yes, but well. Thank you." She replied in what could be a clipped tone, but neutral enough to not be considered outwardly aggressive._

" _If you say so. I can never quite know what you are truly thinking." Ove said almost jokingly, only the slightest hint of frustration underlying his voice._

_Borghild laughed politely. "I suppose that is...different for an elf such as yourself."_

_He shook his head with a grin. "I do not read others' minds as I please, princess. Though, I would be a better ruler if I understood everyone in the realm." His eyes flickered to the circlet that showed she was of royalty on her head. "Regardless, I hope your parents recover. Or have Dagny start the reincarnation process."_

_"Thank you."  
_

* * *

"I apologize for not realizing how quickly the magic would take a toll on you." Alva said the next day. "Fixing the barriers from the model takes more energy, but it is the safest way."

Corinne shrugged. "Not worse than training with Natasha. There's another way?"

"Doing it from the room causes you to extend further, using more energy. Going directly to the damage would work better for you, but again, Ove." Alva explained, annoyance colouring her tone at the mention of Ove. "With the vulnerabilities already in the barrier, it is possible he already has spies working for him."

"Right." Corinne looked out a window contemplatively. The plumes of smoke were still there. She could see the shining helmets of soldiers below, likely to be lost to the other side before they even lifted their weapons. How long until they run out of people? "I wouldn't mind going directly to the shield and fixing it from there. I can do the whole thing faster, right?"

Alva pursed her lips. "If he sees you…"

"I'll shield myself." She decided. With each second she spends recovering from magic use, Ove could be making more breaks in the barrier. Besides, she didn't like the feeling of complete exhaustion.

The seer was about to retort, but relented. The positives that would come out of it were far too tempting for their desperate situation. "I will go arrange your route."

Alva planned it so that she would repair the weak spots that would be useful to Ove, but far enough from the main break-for now. The elf had been adamant on not letting her meet Ove head on, and Corinne agreed. They needed to take care of any little exits or entries first before pushing them out. She didn't like the idea of unsuspecting elves being ambushed from a gap they overlooked.

With six guards plus Hemming, Corinne efficiently restored the barrier bit by bit. Alva couldn't accompany them, as she had to oversee other the troops to ensure that Ove would not arrive too soon.

They had traveled by horse to the edge of Álfheim. The road went briefly through the rest of the capital, where the rest of the elves lived. It was only for a short time, because they didn't want her to be seen by too many. Nonetheless, she got a closer look at Álfheim, rather than just the view from a window.

The buildings were all unique, and integrated into the land. Corinne admired the way they lived on the land without interrupting nature's paths. There was a tower built around the tree as the center. There was a house with hundreds of flowers living on its side, and a stream running through it. In Álfheim, nature coexisted with the civilization.

As they went further and further, the buildings lessened and disappeared. Now, it was completely uninhabited except for the plants and animals.

"I think we're good to go." Corinne said once she finished another crack in the shield. Despite repairing maybe dozens of spots, she still felt better than when she was using the model. "Where is the next-"

She turned around to discover all of her guards missing. Only silence and the whistling wind through the leaves greeted her. Had she really been concentrating that hard?

_No, they're probably on a rotation, just out of sight._

Corinne retreated, bringing a shield up around herself. "Guards?" When no answer came, she inched forward cautiously.

Empty. Where seven guards and horses once were, the area was empty. She let her shields down.

Something, an arm, encircled her waist and tugged her backwards. She kicked and scratched at her assailant, before using a maneuver she couldn't remember learning to bring the person to the ground. She inhaled sharply as she saw who she was straddling. Her thighs' grip on their throat loosened.

" _Hemming_?"

"Your Highness, the other guards have lost their minds." Her personal guard reported to her quietly.

She gave her shadow an odd look, but lowered her voice to a hush too. "They've gone crazy?"

"No, they simply left, all of a sudden. Their eyes were...empty."

"Is this Ove?" She glanced back at the shield. "Were they his all this time?"

"I do not know," Hemming looked around the rural forest, "but as your guard I must ensure your return to the palace-"

Corinne halted him as she pointed his own sword at him. She wasn't even sure she could use it when it came to it, but in this new but dangerous environment, she found herself afraid. "How did you escape? How do I know you're not under Ove's control?"

"Would I be under you if I were?"

She narrowed her eyes. "Could be a trick."

Something in Hemming's gaze shifted, but a rustling in the trees interrupted her interrogation.

"We need to go." Hemming urged.

Corinne considered her options. She had some memories of Álfheim as Borghild, but not this area. They were in the farthest part from the center of the capital, with miles of dense forest surrounding them. She could fly above the trees to go back, but that would attract unwanted attention. Grounded, she could navigate the wild on her own, but would get lost.

But why would she need to run away from the rustling? They could be the guards, completely normal, coming back from their patrol.

She looked back down at Hemming. He had been personally assigned by Alva, so there was no doubt that he had been hand picked very carefully. She should trust him. Her gut told her that she should leave, a basic instinct instilled deep in her was telling her to run. What if he was right, what if Ove was really sending her own guards against her?

"Fine." She got off of Hemming but kept his sword. "Get us out of here."

She could only hope she was making the right choice.

 _I wonder if Heimdall is seeing this. Would he tell Thor?_ Corinne watched Hemming's back cautiously as he navigated them through the foliage. _Hopefully this will be over before it comes to that._ _  
_

* * *

**Squeezed this in, sorry if choppy. I know school's going to make me not update in a whole month, so I got this out. Short and frequent is better than long and not-so-frequent, right? Also inspired by a review reminding me to update. Thank you!**

**Hope you guys like this arc. Other characters will make appearances, but for now, it's time for Corinne to develop on her own for a bit. Avengers gang are having their own build up to civil war back on earth rn.**

Thoughts on Hemming? Ove? Alva?

**01.18.16.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Appearance of an actual character from the Marvel universe this chap ;)**

* * *

They walk for maybe ten minutes before something goes very wrong.

There's a whistle in the air, then a soft hissing sound. Strange, swirling but foggy colours flood their vision. It's like a cloud had suddenly descended on them, except it wasn't condensed water.

Corinne gasped for air. The smoke filled all of her senses-clogging her nose, burning her throat, and clouding her vision. Despite the sickly sweet smell, the smoke was terrible.

Her only hope of getting out of it is the steady hand gripping her wrist. If Hemming is affected by the fumes, he doesn't show it. Another perk of being an elf?

It feels like they spend hours in the smoke. Corinne's feet start to drag as she slows to a walk, her own pounding heartbeat the only sound she hears. The peculiar smoke is too much.

Hemming tugs insistently at her arm. "Just a bit long-"

Corinne feels something hard zip across the back of her leg, sharp pain blossoming afterwards. She hisses in surprise, and feels Hemming quicken their pace.

She hears more of whatever it is striking the dirt beneath their feet. A couple of them reflected off of Hemming's armor with resounding _clinks_. Bullets?

Normally she would have her shields up, but the ambush had taken her by surprise, and the smoke made her drowsy.

Luckily, Hemming is right. The smoke is gradually getting less intense with each step now, and she can finally see what's ahead of her. She breathes in the marginally fresher air, and already the dizziness in her head lessens.

They don't slow down. Despite her mind's insistence that she should lie down and sleep it off, she pushes on. Whatever it was behind them, they needed as much space in between as possible.

Hemming leads them to a natural alcove. Some boulder with dense greenery leaning on it. The leaves and branches of the trees create a roof with just enough cover for the two of them.

"You are hurt," Hemming says tightly once they're inside.

"Yeah, back of my leg-" Corinne craned her neck to look at it. "I can just heal it, it's fine."

He pushes down on her gently so she sat down. "Anywhere else?"

"No, unless you count my brain." She yawned, but stretched her leg out before her. It's a clean slash, thankfully, with just a bit of bleeding. Her hand comes out to hover above the area, summoning her magic. "How about you?"

"Nothing." Hemming inspects the miniscule scratches on his armor.

"What was that out there? Smoke bombs?" Now that they weren't running for their lives, she felt how shaken she was. Hearing Alva tell her she's in danger is completely different from experiencing it.

"It was magic," the elf replied, "meant to sedate. We must have set off an alarm of Ove's. Compelled arrows were automatically released, and..."

Nothing was happening to her leg. Corinne concentrated harder, willing her wound to heal, but nothing happened.

"I can't heal the cut." She said in disbelief. Something cold gripped her heart. Without another word, she summoned a shield-

Nothing happened.

"Something's wrong," Corinne felt her breaths quicken, "my magic-it isn't working."

She had held it in relatively well up to this point. Lost in the middle of a new realm, on the run from mysterious elves that wanted her? Corinne had believed she would be fine. If it came to it, she always had her shields.

Now she didn't have her shields. What will happen now? Surely Alva will find them before-

"Princess." Hemming interrupted her panic attack. Though his eyes shone with concern, he put on a comforting smile. "It is likely due to the effects of the smoke, and will wear off in time. For now, I can heal it for you."

Corinne gave an uneasy nod. Her abilities were something that have always been with her. She felt...empty. Even when HYDRA had those forks that disabled her magic, she had barely registered the loss with the constant terror she experienced.

Something cool and smooth pressed into her palms. She glanced up to see that Hemming had removed the shield on his back and given it to her.

"You are not entirely defenseless." He smiled crookedly. His smile reminded her too much of someone, and she opted to study the metal shield.

It was nice of him to offer her this gesture. "Thank you."

Hemming healed her leg with a glow of emerald while she watched. It was yet again that she appreciated his presence. She would be in a very different place without his help. She should have known that he was able to do it too. But were all elves supposed to learn this? Did they have an education system around magic?

"How did you learn?" Corinne asked curiously.

"It is part of guard training. It is expected that we can heal ourselves, and the ones we are assigned to protect." Hemming explained smoothly, but then a fond smile touched his lips. "I did have trouble with it at first, admittedly. But I had a friend who helped me learn."

"Magic always seems easier to learn with someone to teach." Corinne thought back to when _she_ had learned healing with Loki. When she was younger, she had explored if she could do other kinds of magic. Even with all of the books she could find on magic in the library, she couldn't do it. If Loki hadn't visited and-

Loki.

Heimdall must have seen what's happening here already. Did he know? Does their alliance mean that he would be coming to help?

"Books are never quite the same." Hemming agreed.

Corinne sighed. As nice as it was to talk, they were still in danger. "Do you think they-Ove-know where we are?"

"Perhaps." Hemming gave an uncharacteristic shrug. He seemed more relaxed now, less formal. "They would be searching for us either way."

"Then we should go." Corinne nodded decisively, standing up. She held out Hemming's shield to return it.

He shook his head. "Keep it for now, please. You may need it."

Corinne noticed with a heavy heart that she still couldn't feel her magic. She gave him a tight smile and slipped the triangular shield on her arm. "Thanks." She let out a small laugh as she lifted her arm this way and that. "Kind of reminds me of my friend."

Hemming tilted his head. "The captain?"

"Yeah, 'cap', Steve." She glanced at the elf curiously. "How'd you know?"

"I am required to know. Seer Alva made sure of it." Hemming gestured her to the exit of their temporary shelter.

She stepped back into the open, turning her back on Hemming.

Corinne did not see as she turned how his expression shifted.

* * *

Her leg felt like nothing had ever happened to it as they trekked. They were careful not raise their voices above a murmur, and to make as little noise in the leaves as possible. Hemming navigated them through confidently, and she was glad, as everything looked the same to her.

Of course, another thing had to go wrong.

Hemming had stopped suddenly, scanning the area around them. "This way." He sent her a reassuring smile and turned on his heel.

But then he did it again.

Not five minutes later, he switched directions completely. And then again. And again. He seemed sure about where they were going, but the amount of times he changed route made her wonder if they were going in circles.

"Is everything okay?" She asked.

Hemming seemed like he was about to say one thing, paused, and changed his mind. "Ove's elves are at our south, east, and west...and they're moving towards us."

"And we need to go south." Corinne chewed at her lip. Her human ears would have never been able to pick up the surrounding enemy. "So we...hide, fight, or move north, right?"

"Yes."

She willed an energy field to form, but nothing came into being. "My magic's still down, so we can't fight. Otherwise, we can both deal with all of them at once."

Hemming's brows knit together. "Are you feeling well? Any different?"

"I feel as fine as I can be right now." She nodded. "So, no fighting. Hide until magic recovers fully? They could find us if we hide in the bushes…"

"Hiding can be our last resort." Hemming eyed the dense but small bushes around them. "If they can sense us as well as I can sense them, it would not be hard for them to find us. They likely already know we are near."

"Right. Go north, then." Corinne took the lead this time, jogging lightly. Hemming was silent behind her as he followed.

She tried to squash the feeling of hopelessness as she ran. What had seemed to be a simple excursion to fix the barrier had evolved into a disaster so quickly. Hemming had begun to lead her back to the palace, only to be stopped. North was the opposite of where the castle was.

They were going in circles and everything felt pointless.

Corinne's breaths came out in short pants as she arrived into an open area. The trees were behind her back, as she came to a horrifying realization.

In their rush to get as far north as possible, they had failed to remember the shield surrounding the city.

Corinne spun around to Hemming. "We're-"

He was gone.

"...trapped." She finished lamely.

* * *

But just as she began to fear being alone, she wasn't anymore.

Loki rubbed at his temples, tired. He gazed at the mostly untouched nature of Álfheim with a strange look in his eye. It looked the same as always, with the exception of the smoke in the distance. And the best thing, or rather, person that came out of Álfheim…

He shook his head and took in a deep breath. In a blink, his form reverted to the one he's all but become. Odin.

Things were happening that almost made him regret being king. _Almost_. As frustrating as it was, he pulled through. Loki considered prided himself in working best under pressure. The best lies were the ones that got him out of life and death situations, after all.

But this particular problem was more complicated. He was more...invested in the outcome compared to all the other issues he's had to resolve.

"Allfather." The elf Alva bowed in respect as he entered her strategy room. Others were there too. Among them, the most striking were a heavily armored elf and a very, very young elf.

He nodded, letting his gaze fall to the map and its tiny markers showing the movement of troops. The stone pieces moved on their own accord every couple of moments. They were moving towards the palace steadily, but a small cluster was also moving to a spot in the north.

"Everything, after all these centuries, may end very soon." He stated more than asked.

"Yes," the armored elf said gruffly, "but we will not be admitting defeat."

"Of course not." He replied impassively. "Asgard will provide five more legions. Use them wisely."

They thanked him with great relief.

"Ove's numbers in the north there." He pointed at it with his staff. "It is concerning."

"We will take care of it."

* * *

In a surprising twist of events, she found herself grateful for the imperfections in the shield.

She had quickly slipped through a crack in the barrier when she heard the horse hoofs nearing.

They wouldn't able to get through that particular spot without slowing down to get off their horses, so it would buy her time. If they figured out that she had left the safety of the shield, anyway.

Getting outside of the city hadn't been her best idea, but it was the only one. If she skirted around the edge and went through another crevice, she could still make it back.

She stuck close to the trees, but never strayed far from the golden dome. The sky was getting dark, however, and she contemplated whether or not she should continue. The shield emitted a faint glow, enough for her to see a couple feet ahead. Would she get a head start from her pursuers if she kept going?

She got out the food from her bag that Alva had provided. She sighed as she bit into a strange fruit resembling a strawberry but in the size of an apple.

"Your Highness."

Corinne stilled and brought herself into a defensive stance. She still had the metal shield and sword with her,

"Hemming."

The guard got up from his kneel but kept his hands in the air. "I apologize for my disappearance." He said carefully. "I had to take care of the ones pursuing us. Alva-"

"By yourself?" She let out a disbelieving laugh. "I think you were-you are _helping_ them. You're just messing with me here. If you're planning to capture or kill me-get it over with." Internally, she was taken back at the words that came out of her.

Something flashed in Hemming's eyes. He closed his eyes and let out a breath. "I am only here to protect you."

"Tell me the truth."

"That is the truth." The elf locked gazes with her again. "I have never lied to you. And I will not."

Corinne suppressed a shiver at the intensity of his stare.

_I can't trust him. Something about him still isn't right._

You are right to distrust him.

A chilling voice shook her to her core.

She stiffened and looked around the darkness. "Did you?..."

"Ove." Hemming nodded sharply. He moved forward to cover her, but she stepped back, still wary.

_I am happy to meet you again, Borghild._

"You must trust me." Hemming pleaded.

Corinne shook her head. The hairs on the back of her neck stood suddenly, and she sucked in a breath. A large presence, _Ove_ , was behind her.

She willed herself to spin around and raise her borrowed weapons, but found that she was frozen. Not by fear but by some force pushing down on her. She felt a hand tuck a lock of hair behind her ear, then land on her shoulders. Ove leaned over, his breath tickling her neck.

He did not speak. His voice continued to echo in her, and apparently Hemming's, mind.

 _It's true he helped bring you to me._ Although Corinne couldn't see his face, she could hear the sneer in his tone. _But he was not working for me. Or Alva.  
_  
Corinne found that she could move her mouth again and speak. "I don't care." Now that she was in Ove's literal grasp, it didn't matter whose Hemming's allegiance belonged to.  
 _But you should. Hemming, who are you loyal to?_

"You." Hemming said this staring into Corinne's eyes, refusing to look at Ove. His body was coiled tight like a spring, obviously not happy with her predicament.

Corinne pulled and pushed against the force keeping her from fighting. She glared at the ground. It was useless.

Hemming's angry expression smoothed away into a calmer, more confident one. "You caught me, Ove."

She stared with her mouth agape as all too familiar green light enveloped Hemming's form. The bulky armor turned into slimmer armor with leather. Blond hair turned into raven tresses. The facade was gone.

"Loki."

* * *

**Surprise! Leave me any thoughts/reactions :) No one left a comment last chap which is sorta concerning, but I kinda get it cause last chap was the build up.**

**02.08.16.**


	25. Chapter 25

**Warning: Bit of weird, possibly disturbing mind control stuff. Possible triggers for self harm? Hope not but just to be safe. It's around the line: Her heart froze in its beating. Was he serious? Ends around: A smile finally...**

* * *

Corinne stared at Loki.

It was him, alright. She doubted an elf could impersonate him that well. Loki was standing before her yet again, looking quite at ease with the situation.

"Again?" She sighed. Her shocked expression transformed into an exasperated one. He sent her a nonchalant shrug in reply.

A lot of things clicked. Why Hemming had been proficient in healing magic, his 'friend' that had taught him, why he knew about Steve...His magic had been _green_ too. Her gut was right to doubt Hemming.

But could she still trust him?

 _Loki and Borghild back together again._ Ove interrupted behind her, his voice a croon. She had almost forgotten about him during the reveal.

"I'm not her." Corinne tried to move her arms again, but to no avail.

_Do you not wish she is, Loki?_

She cut in before he could reply. "What do you want?"

Loki's brows drew together. He seemed bothered by something she had said.

Ove laughed in their minds. _I would not kill her, Loki. Not so soon._

Loki flashed him an unfazed grin. "What makes you think I have such care for her? She is not Borghild after all, as you have said."

"Thanks." Corinne piped up. But she suspected, trying to keep her thoughts quiet somehow, that Loki at least wanted her for something. And whatever it was, he had to get her out of this. "Can we speed this up? My legs are going numb."

A flare of pain shot up her legs immediately. Corinne gasped as her brain registered agony that didn't exist. She felt Ove's control on her loosen as he let her double over.

She wondered why he didn't just control her. If he could trick her mind into thinking she was being hurt, why couldn't he just turn her into another of his mindless followers? Was this more amusing to him, torturing her to do his bidding?

 _That should be better._ Ove said mockingly. _I need you to bring down the final shield first. It is far too much work to do myself. Then we may speak about what you will do for me._

Corinne felt something cool skim the palm of her hand and flinched.

A barely audible whisper sounded in her head. _Do not think about it too much. Trust me._

She kept her thoughts on her friends back on Earth. She hoped her thoughts were loud, but not too obvious, before glancing at her hand for a split second.

A curl of green magic was circling around her hand, which she could still move. Ove hadn't relinquished his control over her since releasing her so he could see her reaction. She directed her gaze back up quickly.

 _Avengers, Avengers...how are they doing? Will they know?_ She repeated in her head, hoping it came across as panic.

She felt the coolness seep into her hand like water and allowed it. Immediately, she felt a burst of energy. The feeling of having magic again was comforting, despite this magic feeling...different. It was cool where hers was warm. But it didn't feel too strange.

Her head felt lighter now, and something heavy was pushed out. Like waking up, her mind was clearer.

She looked at Loki. The corner of his mouth lifted into a discrete smirk.

It was then she noticed that Loki and Ove had been talking while she absorbed the magic. The demigod had been distracting Ove further whilst she was coming to her realization.

Corinne could feel her ability at the back of her mind again. She could just reach out, and make a shield.

She knew what she had to do now.

"...Borghild could have taken the throne, and you were all too aware of it." Loki sneered at Ove.

_Pity you were not aware that you had no chance at getting your throne. Not by fair means anyw-_

Corinne conjured shield disks and threw them behind her.

Spinning around, she put up a dome barrier. That should keep Loki and her safe from anymore attacks both physically and mentally. She let out a relieved sigh at finally feeling secure. The thrum of her shield was comforting.

Now that she had turned around fully, she finally got to see Ove.

A couple of the disks had struck him, and he was examining the dents in his armor. Corinne wasn't sure what she expected.

Ove had the same slim, angular face elves all seemed to have. He was a tall figure, casting long shadows on the forest floor. But he looked weak, thin. Was he wearing himself out from his powers? She had seen him before, in her brief memory dreams. But seeing his eyes in person still startled her.

They were clear, but not clear. The remaining sunlight of the day reflected off of his irises like glass. If she squinted, she could see herself and Loki in them. Whereas you could see the universe in Alva's eyes, you could see a mirror in Ove's. The largest difference was that they were disturbing. Empty.

Loki was a solid presence at her back. "I suppose you will have to find another way to storm the palace." He said mockingly.

Ove glowered, then to Corinne's surprise, finally spoke.

"You are a coward."

The venom was hateful, biting, and genuine. Corinne brushed off the insult. "An alive coward." Loki let out a muffled laugh.

"You hide behind shields, behind others. You had the opportunity to be queen, but you ran. Even now, you needed protection from _him_." Ove pointed accusingly at Loki.

"I'm not above getting help when I need it." Corinne raised a brow, the words flowing out from her freely now that she was safe. "If anything, you're the coward. You manipulate others to do what you want, against their actual will."

Ove's eyes narrowed. A tree uprooted by itself and slammed into her shield. Corinne flinched, but the shield held. She wasn't sure how long Loki's magic would last, though.

She let her thoughts reach out to Loki. _Did you give me enough to make another shield outside of this? I'm thinking of trapping him._

_Yes, but that would mean letting down this one. I could give you more, but I do not recommend straining yourself so quickly._

_I've handled much more than this._ She bristled at what felt like concern coming from him. Part of her was indignant, another part unsure of how to react if he truly was concerned for her the way he did for Borghild.

So they were at a standstill.

Ove continued to throw trees and rocks at the shield. The only hint of frustration was his tense posture. Otherwise, his face was expressionless.

If she could get him to Alva, everything would end. All these attacks, the threat to the last standing city...it would all stop. Nobody would be controlled or hurt by Ove.

 _Can't you get him?_ She projected at Loki, taking her eyes off of Ove.

Loki shook his head. _Believe me, I want to._ His gaze was far away.

 _So what, we just let him go?_ They couldn't just fight Ove, not without leaving the safety of their bubble. They needed to not only protect themselves, but their minds.

She considered Ove once again. As imposing as his mere presence was, his physical state was frail. His skin lacked the glow she associated with elves, and he looked like he had been awake for centuries. She could overcome him, maybe, with her training. But she had to do it without becoming his to control.

"Come out." Ove spoke again, no longer able to communicate to them telepathically. When Corinne didn't spare him an answer, his voice shook with conviction. "Your shield will disappear."

Corinne suddenly sensed a spot in the dome start to give way, but fixed it with a quick thought. Was this part of his telekinesis?

_You have a plan._

_Half of a plan._ Corinne frowned. Ove could control their minds, but not with her shields. They couldn't get him under her shield, either. Her eyes widened. One of her first missions with the Avengers after New York, she did something that just might help now.

She turned so that Ove couldn't see the wide grin she gave Loki.

 _I need you to play the bad guy_.

Loki ducked his head and smirked. _When have you started thinking the opposite of me?  
_  
Corinne rolled her eyes. _Here's what we're going to do…_

* * *

Even though it was her plan, it still catches her off guard how fast Loki moves. But her surprised expression is a good thing, as it only plays up their trick on Ove. Loki has her facing Ove, her back pressed to his front as a cold blade pressed at her throat.

Ove looks on with suspicion, but hope flickers through his impassive gaze as he senses that her shield went down. Corinne feels his invasive power brush at the front of her mind, and projects some of her thoughts so he thinks she's vulnerable.

She's anything but that.

She's conjured a layer of her shield on herself from head to toe, just like when the Avengers infiltrated that HYDRA warehouse. When she was shot, it had protected her then. It should protect her now. She just needs to get Ove under the impression that he has her.

"I should have foreseen you turning this into your advantage, Loki." The elf finally says in a drawling voice. "And here I believed you had become well behaved because of her."

Loki chuckled. "You should know that it takes more to change me."

"What do you want in exchange this time, Loki?"

"Half of Álfheim once you seize it, and your loyalty once you are king." The demigod replies easily.

"Only half?" Ove raised his brows. "Fair enough. You have my word-now, your side of the deal, please. I'd rather not make the mistake of letting her mind be uncontrolled for the sake of entertainment again."

"Of course." Loki relieved the pressure of his dagger, and released her.

"Come forward." Ove said to her.

This was it. Either he believed it, or they were screwed. Corinne kept her eyes on the grass, gaze blank as Loki had suggested.

"Look at me." She obeyed, keeping her face as demure as possible. Ove eyes were searching hers for any hesitation, any sign of what was too good to be true. "The sword at your side, unsheath it."

She did as he said, the sound of steel ringing as she held it aloft.

"What colour is your blood?"

Her heart froze in its beating. Was he serious? It's a simple question, but the true command in it is clear.

Luckily, Ove is distracted from any shift in her demeanor. Loki's voices her disbelief for her. "Surely you do not intend to destroy your...prize so soon?"

"I need to be certain she is truly under my control. Even now, her mind still resists, and I feel my power is not completely subduing her." Ove turns back to her again, maintaining that eerie and intense eye contact.

Meeting his scrutinizing gaze head on, she holds the sword to her arm and lightly drags it across. "Red." She murmurs.

A smile finally breaks out on the elf's face. It's smug and predatory and definitely one she will be seeing in her nightmares for years to come. He lets out a shiver inducing laugh as he steps so that he's only inches from her. Hands come up to cradle her face as Ove looks at her with unbridled, almost crazed glee.

"I finally have you." The elf breathes, much too close for comfort. "After all these millennia, of not being able to even read your mind-I _control_ you, Borghild. The one person my powers could not reach. The person who's been making it so difficult to breach these cities...Mine."

Corinne swung the blunt side of her sword to his head, hard.

* * *

When Ove crumpled to the ground, Corinne had to take a couple moments to stare at his still form. The simplicity of knocking him out was disconcerting. How could such a powerful being be stopped so quickly?

Knowing she didn't have much time, she transferred the magic that was protecting her to the air. She shaped the glowing energy into a sphere around Ove's head, concentrating on making it as strong as possible. Every little bit of her borrowed magic went into it. She had to ensure that he could not break out of it when he awoke.

When she was done, her shoulders dropped in both relief and exhaustion. She sat against the trunk of one of the uprooted trees and closed her eyes. Now that the excitement was over, the emotions that she had been repressing caught up to her.

A giggle escaped, followed up by a full blown laugh. She laughed at how a simple excursion had nearly gotten her killed. How it almost got her and her powers in the wrong hands. Her next laugh shook as she realized how if Ove hadn't let her have a bit of control in the beginning for his amusement, she would have been completely gone. It would have been just like Tiffany and-

Something smooth was being pressed into her hands. She looked up to see Loki was giving her the water bottle from her bag. He held himself at an arm's length, careful. She accepted the bottle with a nod. Corinne hadn't realized how badly shaken she was until the water jostled so much when she tried to take a sip.

Slowly, Loki sat beside her. He rummaged through her bag and procured a blanket. He draped it over her wordlessly and waited.

"You are safe now." He said simply. "You defeated Ove."

He held his hand out. Corinne gave him a questioning look, but placed her hand in his. His other hand hovered over her cut and made tendrils of magic heal it. Corinne calmed her own breathing as she focused on how the green magic mended and revealed unblemished, healthy skin.

"I've never met someone so...crazy." She stared at where Ove was a few feet away. "When I pretended he had me, for a few moments there, I was scared that it wouldn't work. When he believed he controlled me, he was..." She exhaled heavily, unable to finish.

"His power allowed him to do anything, have anything. You were an exception. That did not sit well with him." Loki's hands clenched in his lap despite his calm tone.

She scoffed halfheartedly. "Understatement of the century." She glanced at Ove again, uneasily. "I hope you tied him up with magic rope."

"It should be enchanted. Alva would not have anything less for your bag. Your shield around his head should stop his powers. It was a sound plan." Loki regarded her with a peculiar expression.

"What?" She asked, too tired to attempt to decipher all those little nuances he had with her.

"You should be sleeping, yes? I believe you Midgardians require quite a bit of it." He said teasingly.

"I haven't slept consistently since college." She laughed, not hysterically now. "And don't try to pull that with me. I know you aren't all that powerful either; Thor sleeps like a hibernating _bear_ after missions, and he calls them _naps_." Nonetheless, she wriggled herself into a more comfortable position against the log.

Which turned out to be extremely difficult as, unsurprisingly, wood wasn't great mattress material. And she didn't even want to have her head near the grass, where who knows what kinds of alien species crawled. Loki looked on with undisguised amusement as she tried to settle in. "Having trouble?"

She huffed. "I'd like to see you try-"

Her words were cut off as she felt herself pulled so that her head rested on him. Which, although not exactly a bed, was better than the tree trunk. She considered moving away, but decided not to in the end. She couldn't care less anymore.

"How long have you been here, as Hemming?" She inquired as sleep lured her.

"At first? Only as an illusion. When you began this journey, I had 'Odin' make some excuse and I came here myself. It was not too rare for Odin to go on his own trips, and nobody could question him. I was Hemming ever since. Until Ove's army was in pursuit, and I went as Odin to order troops to intercept."

"That was when you left me."

"Yes. It was not ideal, but it had to be done."

Corinne chewed on her bottom lip. "You know I am not Borghild, right? Whatever this is, it can stop right now."

A lengthy pause followed that almost made her want to check if he had fallen asleep. "I am well aware that you are not her. You made that abundantly clear many times today." He said drily.

"Good." She wasn't sure if the recent Borghild memories were messing with her, or she was...Her other life was still fresh on her mind, and now was _not a good time to mix her personalities up_. "All that loyalty talk was confusing me."

"That still holds true." He replied quietly. "I am still loyal to you, as Corinne."

There was a different quality to his voice when he said her name now. She shut her eyes closed. She needed to sleep because she was starting to hallucinate. "Our alliance, right?"

"...Right."

* * *

**Hope that wasn't too terrible! Got some Loki goodness in there for you shippers out there ;)**

**At this point you're probably used to and fed up with my excuses, so I'll just say that I am really really sorry. You guys gave me feedback when I was worried, and I disappeared.**

**I've been losing how I write Deterrence for a while now, and I think I might take a break from this. Every chapter's been feeling kind of...ick, for several months now. Either some sort of Borghild/Loki story or something completely different-I think I need to take a break before civil war.**

**Thank you so much for the continued support :) We reached 100 REVIEWS (fanfic.net) last chapter! That's awesome. I should probs do some special drabble when spring break comes up and before we go hiatus on Deterrence ;D**

**03.06.16.**

**Side note that's super late: DEADPOOL! AM I RIGHT?  
Side side note for ao3 readers: Sorry for the mix up last chap-didn't realize I forgot to fix the authors note when i transferred the chap from fanfic.net**


	26. Chapter 26

**SO THIS IS WHAT'S GONNA HAPPEN, HOPEFULLY:**

**I WRAP UP ALFHEIM FOR NOW IN A CHAP**

**THEN I START CIVIL WAR! (PLEASE FEEL FREE TO DISCUSS THE MOVIE WITH ME BTW!)**

**Got a job recently that eats up a lot of my time! So yeah that's why I'm absent from both the tumblr and this. Couple drabbles up since then though! Check em out if you want**

**Might be posting said drabbles in a separate story here soon, as not everyone goes on tumblr**

**Keep on forgetting to mention:**

**Hemming's name means changing shapes/shapeshifter**

**Ove-full of terror**

**I've changed evil HYDRA agent Tiffany to Bonny, too.  
**

* * *

Corinne wasn't sure what to expect when she woke up.

Nothing felt different. At the outskirts of the giant shield, it was calm. There were no plumes of smoke, no noises except for the wind and the wildlife.

She stretched her neck, which was aching from the awkward position it had been on Loki's shoulder. Her eyes flitted to where Ove lay, surprisingly asleep. It wasn't as if she thought elves didn't sleep, but the sight was still off putting. How could someone so callous and capable of terror do something normal like sleep?

_But then again_ , she thought a tad awkwardly, _the person I had slept on had done similar acts._

The effects of the gas seemed to have worn off completely. She could feel the magic coursing through her veins again. Corinne hadn't ever really noticed its presence, she realized, until it had been gone.

Corinne waved a hand over Ove's bonds, making sure they were still intact.

Now that Ove's control had diminished, what happens? Will he have a trial?

_What kind of justice system do elves have?_ Corinne mused.

Ove stirred, then opened his eyes. She tried not to seem outwardly disturbed by him. Ove would probably get a sick enjoyment out of her discomfort. Besides, he's completely harmless. They were able to defeat him. Her own abilities have him confined.

At that assuring thought, she felt herself hold herself more upright. Her shoulders went back, her chest out, and her chin up. A rush of confidence swept over her as Corinne stared unblinkingly back at Ove's penetrating gaze. At the back of her mind, she recognized that this wasn't entirely new, but it wasn't her, either. It was a familiar mindset that she just slipped into. Borghild's.

Ove sneered at her, but anything he was about to say was cut off as an exaggerated yawn sounded behind them.

"Morning." Loki made a show of stretching as he regarded the two of them. "Ready to pay for your crimes?" He asked cheekily to Ove.

Corinne rolled her eyes as she got to her feet, tugging Ove up as she did so. "Good morning, you hypocrite."

"I will have you remember that I have atoned with the time I spent in that cell. With you." He quirked a brow. Silently, he sent her a quick thought to her.

_Do you feel better?_

"I'm pretty sure you were supposed to _stay_ in that cell for a bit longer than you did."

_I'm as good as I can be, thanks._

"I believe I have recovered enough magic to teleport us just outside of the city." Loki said.

"That's good news." Corinne sighed in relief. The horses were gone and, even if they did have them, she did not want to be on the back of one anytime soon.

"By us I mean myself and Ove."

Corinne's head snapped up. "What?"

"You should be able to remember how to do it yourself, from the memories." Loki shrugged her surprise off, amused by her reaction. "And I can teach it to you again."

She narrowed her eyes at him. She had a feeling he was doing this just to make her expand her powers, for whatever agenda he had going. But he was right. She remembered how to teleport like she remembered an old recipe. It's like she knows all the ingredients and motions needed, but was out of practice.

"...I will probably tear myself apart."

"Don't be dramatic. I would not let you try if I thought you would." They were approaching the giant dome again, stepping through the hole she had hurried through last night. "Think of how much faster you can travel."

"Fine. But if I end up on the moon, I'm blaming you."

She opened her mind up to him, and he sent her a vivid image of a spot just beyond the forest, overlooking the city and the castle. She took in every sound, scent, sight, and committed it to memory.

"Ready?" He said after he let her memorize the place. "I will see you soon, then. Good luck."

He took ahold of Ove's arm, winked, and disappeared in a mist of green.

Corinne drew a deep breath for a good four seconds, before releasing it just as slowly.  
 _  
Okay. Here it goes._

She felt herself become lighter than air, and split up into millions of smaller particles. Focusing on the image of the place, she felt the parts of herself move, _rapidly_. It was like the worst roller coaster she could ever imagine. Gut wrenching, she was pushed and pulled into all directions. Eventually, she felt herself still. She gradually became heavier until she was aware of her breath again.

When she opened her eyes, she was met with the sight of the same place that Loki had shown her. She felt her anxiety ease away as she saw that she was, _thankfully_ , still in one piece. No limbs were missing, and she was exactly where she wanted to be. She could hear the distant noises of the city below, and wow, she had never been more glad to hear civilization. Being stuck with Loki and Ove wasn't really ideal company.

Corinne took a step, and realized all too soon that her balance was off. She stumbled forward, but someone suddenly steadied her at her elbow.

She glanced to her side. Loki was wearing his smug grin again.

_Told you._  
  
"Let's get going." She said, ignoring the self satisfied demigod.

The trio made their down the hill, carefully stepping to avoid tumbling down it. Corinne looked behind her, where Loki had reverted back to Hemming and was pulling Ove along. The elf wasn't even resisting, seeming fine with his fate. In fact, he hadn't uttered a word since he's woken up.

She really hoped he didn't have something up his sleeve.

"What are they going to do with him?" Corinne said aloud, as much to herself as to Loki. She couldn't remember anything like this happening in her life as Borghild. It was either so peaceful nothing happened, or she wasn't made aware of it. "They wouldn't, you know…"

Loki slid his gaze towards her. "Execute him?"

Corinne shut her eyes and nodded. Not what she wanted to happen, but with the way Alva spoke of Ove, it was a possibility. "But elves don't die? They're immortal."

"Elves live long lives, and can be brought back from death...but eventually that stops working." Loki gave a pointed look at Ove, but Ove didn't react, opting to look straight ahead. "Borghild's parents are an example. After millennias of life, they could no longer be brought back."

That made sense. After living all of her life believing she had just a regular human life span, it was unsettling to think of being able to live forever. How could anyone stay sane? What can you even do with a life so long? Or, what is left that you _can't_ do? It was such a foreign concept to her.

"One of the Seven, Dagny, is a master of life magic. She revived you, but she is also in charge of the...transition of others' lives."

"So she can stop his cycle of life or something?"

"Or transfer it." Loki said. "He can become a completely new being, no memories." _Like you_ , it was left unsaid. "Or, he can live the rest of his life as, say, a harmless flower. It's not an uncommon sentence for the elves."

"That's definitely different from home."

* * *

When they made it back to the castle, it was flooded with people.

She panicked for a split second when she saw that they were an entire army that didn't belong to Alva or Odin. But the soldiers' dazed, groggy faces swept away the fear. All of them looked like they had just woken up from a bad dream.

They were released from Ove, at last.

The elves were a huge blockade in front of the entrances. She was just about to give up when the crowd gave way to the trio. Grown, battle hardened elves shed away at the sight of the prisoner they had taken. Fear and cautious relief shone in everyone's eyes. A hush fell over.

Ove held his head high as they passed through, making them uneasy with his probing eyes. He had neither shame nor fake confidence. It was his usual emotionless visage.

Alva, talking with people at the top of a staircase, seemed to sense their return. Her posture relaxed from its rigid stance as she saw them.

"Your Majesty." Alva greeted with a small smile. Several elves murmured amongst themselves when they realized who Corinne was. "I had multiple visions of how this could have ended, and I must say, I am glad this is what happened."

"So am I." Corinne said wryly.

Alva's gaze turned to Ove. "Your attempts to seize the throne are over."

"Are they? I still see an empty throne." Ove gave her a doubtful look, coolly unconcerned. He had been saving his energy for this, then. "What could you possibly do to stop me or the others? You do not have enough power to end my life."

"The king and queen may be gone." Alva ignored his goading. "But their daughter has returned."

Corinne's stomach sank as Alva turned to address the other elves.

_She wouldn't._

_Would she?_

"The queen of Alfheim has returned."

Corinne felt the weight of everyone's eyes on her, now. She knew she probably looked like a deer caught in the headlights. She shifted uneasily. While she knew what Alva wanted her to do, she could not imagine accepting the responsibility.

_What are you thinking?_ She shot Alva an incredulous look.

Hemming caught her panicked gaze and grinned. He ducked his head, lowering himself to a kneel.

Like dominoes, the rest followed.

_Congratulations._ Loki's voice echoed in her mind.

She felt sick to her stomach. Her legs began moving her away without her thinking. She couldn't do this. Alva couldn't just do this. There had to be some other person-

She connected gazes with Ove, and immediately regretted it. She had to remind herself that he couldn't read minds anymore as he stared right into her soul. He let slip a tight, close-lipped smile. He knew she wasn't going to do it. He gave her a smug look, knowing she couldn't do it.

She felt a brief spark of anger, then that same calm come over her again. Her posture became regal, like she was entirely comfortable in the situation. She felt, no, she _knew_ , what she needed to do. She could do this. She could prove Ove wrong. Ove recoiled by the slightest bit. Alva nodded approvingly. Loki grinned wider.

"Put him in his cell for now." She said, a quality to her voice that was both old and new to her.

She watched calmly as they did just that. But once Ove was out of her sight, her composure dropped.

_What did I just do?_

* * *

"You knew she was going to ask eventually." Loki was, as per usual, not perturbed at all.

Corinne shook her head furiously, pacing back and forth. She could see her own alarmed expression reflected back on the shiny surface. Was everything so perfect here? She _can't_ be in charge of all this. "Yeah, but she basically announced it to _everyone_ on this realm." _And I didn't even deny it because I wanted to prove myself to Ove._

A creak sounded, and they turned around to see the heavy set wood doors swing open. Alva glided in, inclining her head at Hemming's bow.

"Thank you," Alva began simply, "for all that you have done. You were in danger, yet you still helped end everything."

"Of course." Corinne's shoulders rose and fell. "I would do it again in a heartbeat. But Alva, you shouldn't have-I can't be a queen." The rush had come and passed, leaving her questioning her earlier actions. One challenging look from Ove and she had all but accepted the title. What was she thinking?

"You would make an excellent queen."

"No," Corinne shook her head adamantly, "I know I am Borghild and I have good intentions or whatever-but that's not enough. I'm not ready, not fit to rule a whole realm. I know Thor spent centuries preparing for it."

"So have you. You remember everything from Borghild's life, yes?"

She did. She remembered it like it was just a couple years ago, like a faint memory of a chapter of math she did as a child. There were bits and pieces of Borghild's lessons that were meant to groom her into the throne, or at least for royalty's sake. Although she didn't want to admit it right now, she had felt bits of Borghild come out. It had come out two times today, after all.

"I'm sorry, but I know it's not enough." She couldn't imagine herself taking on the role. Corinne was used to being the backup, not taking charge. How could she juggle two worlds? How did Thor even manage?

"Alfheim is unstable until there is a set ruler."

"You were fine before, and now Ove's gone! There's nothing to worry about."

"It is not secure. I realize this is a large responsibility, but it must be done. Even with Ove gone, there will always be others. Sigrun, Leif... Please."

Corinne bit her lip. Alva's points were true but she could not see herself as a leader of a realm. The team would never let her hear the end of it. How would she even look over Alfheim while living on Earth? Did she have to move here permanently? She studied the physical sciences, not the political sciences! She's lived in a world where monarchs no longer have much power, a world where most leaders are chosen by an election. This is the complete opposite.

"You've been doing a really good job so far, can I just give the crown to you or something?"

Alva shook her head. "I do not have enough claim to it, and I do not want it as Ove does."

If she didn't want it, how could she expect her to want it? "What happens when I die? There's no point, my decades are a blink of an eye to all of you-you'll have a queen for a minute."

"You can do the opposite of what Borghild did years ago. Currently, you are a human with a slightly longer life and power, but you can resurrect as a full light elf."

She choked on nothing. It was hard enough to imagine herself as a queen, but immortality? Watching all her friends die? Becoming...something else? "This isn't funny anymore, Alva." She said tiredly.

"This is not meant to be a joke." Alva replied confusedly, in a way much like Vision. "You do not have to shoulder the burden alone. I will help you, and so will the rest of the Seven. It will put all of the minds on Alfheim at ease."

"So...it'll be purely ceremonial?" Alva nodded. "You could have started with that, but it's still...a lot. Queen Corinne." She let out a disbelieving laugh. "Sounds ridiculous."

"But not entirely."

Corinne cast her eyes elsewhere at that. Borghild was part of her, she knew. But she had an inkling that taking on the title, even just for appearances' sake, signified she was accepting it. And who knew, maybe this decision will lead to more. How could she balance Corinne and Borghild at the same time?

She's gone through so much over the past few years. New York, dark elves, HYDRA, Sokovia- _dying_. So much change, so many new terrors at night. Her eyes closed as she sighed. She just wanted to stay afloat. To rest.

But it was not her to just stand idly by, either. She couldn't just lay low somewhere indefinitely. If there was a crisis, she needed to be there. It's why she didn't steer clear of the Ultron situation, or this one. It had been her choice, always. And now, this was another one she had to make.

She opened her eyes. Hemming stared back at her, expression unreadable. Alva simply waited for her response.

"Is there a coronation that happens?"

Alva smiled at her, shoulders sagging with relief. "Thank you, and-"

A violent flare of light, like an explosion, erupted in Alva's eyes. It was red and angry, unusual even for Alva's peculiar irises. The elf looked like she was far away for a moment, before letting out a sharp gasp.

"Your friends on Midgard…" Alva's eyes were wide with, to Corinne's surprise, horror. "You must go back."

"What's going to happen?" Corinne asked breathlessly, panic seizing her heart. She looked at Alva searchingly, pleadingly. "Is Ultron back somehow? Another alien invasion?"

A deep, regretful, sorrow shone in Alva's eyes. "They are going to fight one another."

"No." Corinne replied right away. Her thoughts whirled in her mind in a frenzy. "How-why would they even?"

Alva's visions did not always come true. Corinne hoped this was one of them. She got up, nonetheless.

"Tell me how to stop it."

* * *

**Sneak peek for next week (cause i've been gone for months, cough):**

He looked different from the last time she saw him, at Beth's bakery. There was something lighter about him now. When he sat across from her in the booth, he was gaunt and his eyes were haunted. The man in front of her now looked much better. Whatever he had been doing for the past couple years was clearly working.

"Bucky." She smiled. "Morning."

He was on guard, sizing her up cautiously. Seeing something, the tension in his body slowly went away. A trace of a smile appeared on his face. "Good morning."

His gaze suddenly turned sharp. In a blink he was in front of her, pushing her back and listening intently to something she can't catch.

"There's a window behind you." He whispered.

"Don't need it." She made a shield in front of them to prove her point. "Who is it? How many are there?"

He pulled a face, before realization flashed across his features. Did he know who it was? "Just one."

* * *

**Again, feel free to talk to me about civil war because! wow it was good. Thoughts bout the chapter? Predictions bout the next one? Reviews are love.**

**Kinda icky on this chapter because making her sorta-kinda-a-queen was...a big decision? Might tilt a bit to much to a 'mary sue' kind of character for Corinne? :/ Don't want that for her**

05.22.16.


	27. Chapter 27

**Spoilers for civil war here on out**

* * *

"My visions never tell me when an event happens but if you leave now, you may be able to stop your friend Wanda." Alva told her quickly as they hurried to the Bifrost stamp.

Oh right, she almost forgot about the time difference between Alfheim and Earth. "Wanda? She wouldn't…" Corinne was still in disbelief.

_They're going to fight each other, they're going to fight each other...what am I going to do?_

"Not intentionally. She will lose control of her powers, and people will die as a result." Alva elaborated just as they arrived at the Bifrost. "When you get there, shield the buildings or help her contain the explosion."

"Okay." Corinne squared her shoulders in resolve, standing in the middle of the circular pattern. "Where am I going?"

Alva looked up as if looking at Heimdall. "I believe it is called Lagos, Nigeria."

Blinding light flooded her vision, and she was gone.

* * *

Heimdall had teleported her to an isolated field just outside of bustling Lagos. She flew herself to the center of the city, eyes scanning for her friends or fleeing civilians. She had to find them quickly before it happened. People were going to die.

Nothing.

Despite looking everywhere, there were no possible explosions, no panicked yelling. She must have gotten here early by a day at least, then.

She wanders through the city, debating on contacting the Avengers before it happened, or staying here just in case. As she walks through an area full of bright umbrellas and tables, her eyes are drawn to a blackened husk of a building. The windows on one of its upper floors were completely blown out, and construction is happening around it. Her gut twists at the sight, her mind already coming to conclusions.

_No, this might not be..._

A mother and her daughter are waiting at a bus stop near her, so she approaches them. "Excuse me," Corinne says sheepishly, interrupting their conversation. "What happened here?"

Recognition sparks in the woman's and the little girl's eyes, and Corinne prepares for the ensuing excitement. Ever since her death and press conference, her face has gone public and people all over the world knew it. However, instead of the awe that usually follows when children see an Avenger, the little girl ducks behind her mother's legs. It isn't out of timidity either. There is fear in her eyes.

Corinne looks up from the daughter, confused, to meet the mother's distrustful glare. And at once, things click in place in perfect clarity. She waits dreadfully for the mother's incriminating words.

"You should not be here." The mother shields her daughter from Corinne. The action hurts her more than she thought it would. "You...Avengers did this." And with that, the mother whisks the little girl away without looking back.

People close by notice of this, take one look at her, and inch away. Some even full out scowl at her, spitting words at her in a language she can't understand. There is overwhelming contempt and hostility in their gazes that Corinne had never had directed at her before.

_I was too late._ She stares at the building, stupefied. _Oh god, it's a whole floor. People were probably…_

She shook her head, backing away from the open area. There was nothing she could do but move on, and hope to stop everything another way.

* * *

When Vision told Steve that Ross was coming, he knew right away that it wasn't going to be anything good.

For a month, the media and the public have been condemning and criticizing the Avengers, especially Wanda. The government had been suspiciously quiet for the most part and did not take any immediate actions. He had been right to think it was too good to be true. Now, they were finally facing the music.

"Five years ago, I had a heart attack." Ross mimed swinging a golf club. Impatience gnawed at Steve. He wished the other man would just get on with it and go straight to the point. "Dropped right in the middle of my backswing. Turns out-"

The Avengers suddenly flinched. Across the table, Wanda gasped sharply. Tony almost fell out of his chair. Everyone's heart halted for a split second in that moment as they doubted their eyes.

Corinne was standing right behind Ross, looking slightly winded but otherwise the same. A yellow mist which had appeared before her arrival dissipated into the air.

"Hi."

Ross jumped, eyes comically wide. If she didn't know any better, she'd say she almost saw his mustache leaping off his face in fright. The secretary of state somewhat composed himself and pressed his lips into a thin line. "Miss Lin."

"Mr. Ross." Corinne nodded, strolling casually around him. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to give you another heart attack. It's just that, well, I've been around some...interesting people lately."

Namely, Loki the trickster god.

"That's a Vision move right there." Someone muttered.

That broke the tense atmosphere for a moment. Her teammates covered their faces or struggled to hold a straight face. Natasha shook her head minutely while Tony gave her a discreet thumbs up. Steve grinned halfheartedly in greeting, glad to see her back but wishing it was under different circumstances. Pietro was outright snickering.

Ross cleared his throat and the strained, somber atmosphere came back. "If we could get back to the meeting, please."

Wanda smiled at her, but Corinne could tell it wasn't as bright as usual. She patted her hand and gave her what she hoped was a sympathetic look as she made her way to an empty seat behind Steve.

_It wasn't your fault._ She projected to her.

Wanda nodded but didn't reply, looking down at her lap. Corinne frowned. She would have to talk to her some more later.

The secretary gave Corinne a long stare, clearly unimpressed. "Well now that all of the Avengers have assembled here, we can continue.

My heart attack gave me...perspective. The world owes the Avengers an unpayable debt. You have fought for us, protected us, risked your lives. Lost your lives for us." He glanced at Corinne. "And while a great many people see you as heroes, there are some who prefer the word vigilantes..."

Corinne winced as Ross called them dangerous and _unconcerned_ for what they leave behind.

_We have never been unconcerned!_ She bristled slightly. _How could he…_

Terror filled screams reached their ears as Ross played footage from New York. Then, Washington, Sokovia, and Lagos. She watched the flames consuming that building she wasn't able to save in regretful silence. When Steve told Ross to stop, she let out a quiet breath of relief.

"For the past four years, you've operated with unlimited power and no supervision." Her head shot up and she shared an unbelieving look with Steve. No supervision? What was SHIELD, then? "That's an arrangement that the governments of the world can no longer tolerate.

...But I think we have a solution." He procured a thick booklet and slid it towards Wanda. "The Sokovia Accords. Approved by 117 countries, it states that the Avengers shall no longer be a private organization. Instead, it will operate under the supervision of a United Nations panel."

Corinne's mind reeled as Ross explained exactly how everything would work. She didn't know what to make of this. Operating only when allowed? What if there was an emergency? Her mind went down to the crashing buildings, the fallen civilians, and she stopped. Could the Accord prevent that?

"The Avengers were formed to make the world a safer place. I feel like we've done that." Steve said, staring evenly back at the secretary.

"Tell me Captain, do you know where Thor and Banner are right now?" Ross asked, then he side eyed Corinne. "Or where Lin was a month ago?" Corinne looked down at the long, wooden table.

When Steve didn't answer, Ross went on. "If I misplaced a couple of thirty megaton nukes, you can bet there'd be consequences. Compromise, reassurance-that's how the world works. Believe me, this is the middle ground."

"So, there are constituencies?" Rhodey spoke up.

"Three days from now, the UN meets in Vienna to ratify the accords." Ross began to take his leave.

Natasha interjected. "And if we come into a decision you don't like?"

"Then you retire."

* * *

"What if this panel sends us where we don't think we should go? What if, there's somewhere we need to go, and they don't let us. We may not be perfect, but the safest hands are still our own." Steve argued.

Tony shot back without missing a beat. "If we don't do this now, it's going to be done to us later. That's a fact."

Corinne listened silently to each side's argument. Sitting beside Natasha on the couch, she fiddled with the chess set on the coffee table. She picked up a queen and turned it over in her hand. Unlike this game, the situation was not a clear cut black and white. As each of her friends made valid point after point, she could see how there was no right or wrong choice.

"Corinne?" Natasha said tentatively, breaking her out of her reverie. "I know you just got back, but…"

"Where am I on this?" Corinne finished. She sighed heavily.

On one hand, the Accord was signed by most of the world, and could actually lessen the damage they usually bring. Maybe under new orders, less people would get hurt or die while they fix whatever crisis it is. The Borghild side of her approved. It would make people happy too, and at least ease their concerns. She had _just_ done that on Alfheim herself. If they refused to sign this, what would that say about them?

But an equally strong part in her disagreed. They hadn't been collateral free under SHIELD, what difference would this make? Giving away their right to choose made her uneasy. With SHIELD, she had orders, but this…this was different.

_But all those lives. Charles Spencer. The people in Lagos._

"I'm going to need to read through it." Corinne pointed vaguely in the direction of the packet. Alva's points when she was persuading her to take the title rang in her head. Her mind went back to being under the orders of HYDRA, how her autonomy had been taken away. Natasha's reasoning was sound, though. They needed to win back trust. How long could they continue being Avengers if the world didn't want them?

_Do it for the people._

_But what if they make us do something wrong?_

Alva's predictions were coming true. She could see how high tensions were running. Corinne internally reprimanded herself. She had almost gave in to getting on either side. "No matter what decision we make, guys...let's do it together. We can't split up over something like this. Either we _all_ sign, or we don't." She met each one of their gazes head on, meaning every word. "That's how we've been doing everything since the beginning. As _one_."

"That's easier said than done." Sam said.

"We have to try." Corinne shrugged, putting the queen piece back down on the set. "Alva-she's an elf who can see the future-told me we will fight each other over this. And you can all imagine...it won't end well. Let's slow down and think about this. Maybe we can come to a decision we all agree on." __  
  
Tony squinted at her. "Is it just me or is Corinne different?"

"Something happened where you went." Wanda said perceptively. It wasn't exactly a question.

_Yeah,_ something _happened. I got chased by an insane mind controller, lost my powers, defeated him, and became the queen._  
  
"It's a long story." She said instead. It didn't feel like the right time to focus on herself.

A phone buzzed, and she watched as Steve pulled out his phone and his face crumpled. "I have to go."

* * *

After Steve leaves, the group scatters. Corinne can't help but have a sinking feeling, knowing that despite her words, this might be the last time they're somewhat united as a whole group.

"Here." A copy of the Sokovia Accords is held in front of her. She looks up at to see Tony. "I know you're...besties with Steve, but I hope you think about this objectively."

"I will." She promises, flipping through the booklet. "If I don't find anything unfair in here, I might sign…" For every life they save, sometimes, there's another life lost in the process.

Tony regards her with undisguised surprise. "That was quick."

Corinne couldn't get those people in Lagos out of her head, or the footage of the collapsing buildings. Not to mention, the Borghild side of her was screaming at her to sign. "Believe me, I don't like this at all." She gripped the Accords tightly. This was everything she's against. "But I'll do it if I have to."

The billionaire nods at her gratefully. "Hope you can convince Steve too." He shakes his head and laughs sadly. "What a great welcome back, huh?"

She smiles. "I'd much rather be here than where I was before." She grimaced at the thought of Ove and the mess he had made.

"That bad?"

"That bad."

He pats her awkwardly on the shoulder. "Rest up, kiddo."

As she watches Tony leave the room, Corinne worries about Steve. The way his face fell when he read the message, was an expression that made her chest constrict uncomfortably. She hasn't seen him like this since she came back from death, and that lets her know just how dire it is.

Nonetheless, Corinne goes back to her room in the headquarters. She'll give him some time to himself before she catches up and tries to help. She makes good use of her shower, washing off Alfheim. Her body feels more relaxed after, and she changes into fresh clothes. Her room had been kept clean and dust free thanks to the little robot Dustin that Tony had made her-before Ultron, of course.

Dustin beeps almost happily at the sight of her, going in circles around her legs. She huffs a small laugh at the innocent little thing. It was a remnant of slightly easier times. Even with her patchy memory, she remembered. The time when everyone lived in the tower for the most part, when everyone just trained and hung out and laughed. Tony would tinker in the lab while she did her research, and the rest of the gang would pop in once in awhile. Steve, when he dropped by, would often bicker with Tony over small, mundane, things. It was always Tony simply teasing Steve, and it never ended badly. Bruce and her would exchange exasperated looks over their lab equipment, shaking their heads.

She realized with something stuck in her throat that she didn't want to lose any of that. But if they kept on going as they are now, it might never be possible to have that again. She wanted, _needed_ her team to stay together.

Corinne heard the elevator ding and familiar footsteps make their way down the hall. Her door is open so she pops her head out, smiling hesitantly at Steve. Steve's eyes are slightly red and glassy, and he struggles to smile back. It looks like he wants to say something, but can't quite get the words out.

Wordlessly, she opens up her arms. Steve accepts the hug without a pause. She has to tiptoe a bit to reach and rub his back, but they embrace in silence until Steve stops shaking.

"Peggy's gone." He whispers.

Corinne squeezes her eyes shut and releases a long exhale. She knew the older woman-read about her in school, and met her a couple times when Steve wanted to visit. She knew this was going to happen eventually, but… "I'm sorry." She says.

A soft whir sounds at their feet, and they look down to see Dustin holding up a box of tissues. Steve's lips almost twitch into a smile.

"Forgot Tony made you this." Steve said as he knelt down to take the box. "Thank you." Dustin answered with a high beep, and rolled away.

Corinne nodded absentmindedly. "Steve, is there anything I can do?"

"Her...funeral is in two days. Would you?..."

"Of course." She takes his hand and squeezes it. "You don't even have to ask."

* * *

The funeral goes as expected. Despite not knowing Peggy Carter as well as Steve did, it was still the death of a great woman, and plenty to mourn about. Corinne came here to support Steve, but found herself fighting back tears for the founder of SHIELD.

The only surprise was when a blonde woman that Sam and Steve recognized stepped to the stand.

"You two know her?" She whispered to Sam.

"Former SHIELD agent who spied on Steve before the HYDRA fiasco," Sam answered under his breath, "now CIA."

Her own eyebrows shot up when Sharon revealed she was the niece of Peggy. As Sharon went on about staying firm on where you stand and not moving, Corinne glanced at Steve. She could practically see his resolve solidifying. His choice has been made, now. There would be no changing his mind.

A part of her was happy for him, glad he made his own choice he believed in. But another part of her caused her to smile bitterly to herself. If he doesn't sign, that was it. There seemed to be no way to stop the civil war that Alva saw. It was going to happen no matter what she did.

_But I'm still going to try to stop the actual fighting._

She gave Steve one last hug before she left. She tried not to think about how this might be the last time. "Take care."

Steve sighed and pinned her with a searching look. "Corinne, you don't really want to sign the Accords."

She shook her head, expression rueful. "But I have to."

"You know that's not true. You always have a choice."

"People want some kind of promise and we need to give them that, at the very least. For now." She pulled away from her friend. "And I can't retire from this superhero business."

His shoulders raised and dropped. "So don't."

"Steven Rogers, are you suggesting I break the law?" She said teasingly.

He chuckled quietly. The man knew she was fully aware of all the laws he had violated trying to get into the army, thanks to the stories he told her years ago. "I would _never_."

* * *

The conference at Vienna makes her uncomfortable. Natasha is off speaking with various people, looking at ease as always. For Corinne, it's a setting she's never quite been in before, so she's at a lost for the first couple of minutes. She signs the forms for media release and such, but keeps to herself.

_"Always take your time. Be calm, assured, smooth." An older elf says to the much younger elf. "Have a straight spine, but do not be rigid."_

_Borghild followed her instructions raptly. The natural grace of elves helped her walk, almost glide, across the length of the room. "Like this?"_

_"Excellent." Her teacher complimented proudly. The princess was young-only up to her hip in height, but was catching on fairly well. "Now, show me your best smile."_

_The little elf broke into a large grin, all teeth._

_The teacher laughed at her antics, shaking her head. "Continue with that smile, and it will become your permanent expression."_

" _It is not too bad of an expression to be live with." Borghild quipped back._

" _You will get very tired, princess. Here, observe." The grown elf smiled gently but pleasantly. "You do not need to smile so widely, but do look friendly. You do not want your subjects being intimidated by you."_

_Borghild imitated her teacher's smile._

" _There you are." The teacher tapped the underside of her chin. "Keep your chin up, and you will be just fine."_

Like a switch had been flipped, she let Corinne take a backseat and have Borghild take over. Borghild would know what to do in this place. Her poise transitioned, and she had herself look completely comfortable where she is, much like how she had stared back at Ove's challenging gaze.

She walked down the stairs, feeling better, when she made eye contact with an older, bespectacled man in a sharp suit. Her mind briefly registered that he was the king of Wakanda, one of the forerunners for the Accord. She simply nodded at him, but he made his way over nonetheless.

"If I did not know any better, I would say you are royalty." The king smiled genially, holding out his hand. "King T'Chaka. Miss Lin, yes?"

"Yes, it is an honour to meet you, Your Majesty." She shook his hand firmly, smiling back just as amicably. She was about to shake her head to his first statement, but paused. Was it even allowed to lie to kings? It felt disrespectful to do so. She laughed lightly. "And as for your observation, it is...not entirely false."

T'Chaka hummed, features surprised yet not rudely so. "It seems my eyesight is still keen, even in old age. If I may ask, are you like Prince Thor?"

She laughed cordially again at his little joke. "Not quite. I am pri-queen, of a neighboring realm, to keep it simple."

"It is fascinating when our knowledge of the universe expands." The king commented. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course. The Accords are a necessity we should have created a long time ago. Thank you for helping create it."

T'Chaka nodded, looking at something below them. He turned his attention back to her promptly. "I see my son is speaking with Miss Romanoff. Please, allow me to introduce you to him."

They made their way down to the duo, catching onto snippets of their conversation.

"-two people, in a room, can get more done than a hundred." The son of the king was saying. She had to raise a brow despite herself. That was an interesting conversation.

"Unless you need to move a piano." T'Chaka added smoothly, grabbing their attention.

The trio exchanged warm pleasantries and she waited patiently just by the side. She had a self-assured air, as there was no need to be impatient. She would be addressed eventually.

"T'Challa, I do not believe you have met Queen Corinne Lin?" T'Chaka introduced soon enough, giving his son a significant look.

"No, I have not." T'Challa shook her outstretched hand and gave her a winning smile. "I was not aware we were in the presence of another royal."

"It's rather complicated and not quite known to the public just yet." She replied easily. "There are more important issues, like the Accords, for the media to worry about for the moment."

"Can everyone please be seated? The assembly is now in session." A voice rang out.

"That is the future calling." T'Challa said.

Corinne nodded to the two Wakandans, and went to her seat with Natasha. The former assassin was giving her an amused look as they sat down.

"Queen Corinne." She nudged her. The redhead had already been filled in on what happened on the jet ride over, and was getting, as expected, a kick out of it.  
Corinne shushed her, rolling her eyes.

King T'Chaka was at the podium, beginning his speech. "When stolen Wakandan vibranium was used to make a terrible weapon, we, in Wakanda, were forced to question our legacy. Those men and women killed in Nigeria were part of a goodwill mission from a country too long in the shadows. We will not, however, let misfortune drag us back, we will fight to prove the world we wish to join. I am grateful to the Avengers for supporting this initiative. Wakanda is proud to extend its hand in peace-"

"Everybody get _down_!" T'Challa yelled, running to his father.

It was like everything, even the particles in the air, slowed down.

Her hands weaved a last minute shield.

Natasha grabbed her shoulder and forced her down.

The explosion rocked the building.

* * *

**So is corinne gonna stay team iron man? Can she actually change anything? What is she going to do about bucky?**

**I'd love to let corinne save everyone, but then the plot wouldn't move, and characters wouldn't develop the way they should :/ sorry, lagos**

**Actually rushed the whole queen thing a bit because i thought it might be interesting if she and t'challa + t'chaka had something in common/a dynamic to play with**

**Not a whole lot of action, but I gotta make the build up. But hey, an explosion! That preview last chap never even made it here haha-oh well, hopefully i'll get there next week. I'm aiming for weekly! Doing an ok job so far i'd say.**

**Holy smokes, this turned out to be 4000 + words instead of 3000. Oops? a chunk of it is canon script though. realized while writing this that i gotta juggle a gazillion characters again (plus pietro!). i don't know how the actual marvel characters do it. Let me know if you guys wanna see more from a character**

**Feel free to send me any thoughts!**

**05.28.16.**


	28. Chapter 28

**Finals are terrible. Who even came up with this concept?**

**But I'm here anyway! Enjoy this long chapter :)**

**Okay so things happened, and the earlier preview with Bucky and Corinne is going to be different.**

* * *

It was only when the dust cleared and the ringing in her ears stopped that she could take in what happened.

Her shield had managed to reach a good two rows up and down from their own, covering the UN employees from the debris. She breathed a sigh of relief. The ones who were underneath the shimmering barrier were unharmed, just in shock according to their body language.

"Are you okay?" Corinne asked Natasha, who was crouching next to her. She just looked tousled, and was already analyzing their surroundings.

"I'm fine, I've had worse before. And you?"

Corinne shook her head. "Had worse."

"I'll go check on the civilians. Can you make an opening and get us out of here?"

"Yeah." She glanced at the shaken but uninjured people. She dreaded seeing the state of the others.

Slowly, she lifted her shield and used it to push away any remaining debris on their area. As she pushed more and more chunks away carefully, she could see the rest of the room.

Most of the damage was done to the windows, in the front of the room. The bomb must have been outside, so the devastation of it lessened the further away you were from the windows. The brunt of it was at the front. She uncovered the front rows with bated breath. Thankfully, from what she could see, most of them were still alive. A few had nasty scrapes and bruises from where ceiling chunks and glass shards fell, but other than that, they were all alive. She levitated debris out of the way to the front floor where the podium used to stand. That's when her heart dropped.

_Oh no._

The unmistakable figure of T'Challa was curled over King T'Chaka.

Hurriedly, she heaved away any last rubble to make a path for herself. She sprinted as fast as her legs could to kneel beside the father and son.

T'Challa seemed to be in his own world, but recoiled as she landed beside them. He regarded her with a wariness as if she was here to take his father away. The vulnerable grief in his eyes made her want to look elsewhere.

"Is he…" Her words were stuck in her throat. _I should have shielded the front of the room, not where_ I _was. What was I thinking?_ "I-I can heal him."

Seconds that felt like hours ticked by, until T'Challa withdrew slightly from his protective stance, granting permission for her to try. There was no hope in his gaze, though. "He is gone."

"I can still try."

She felt a sense of deja vu, where she was in a SHIELD transport, as her hands hovered above T'Chaka. Her magic flowed into the fallen king-visible cuts mending over, bruises lightening. She felt hopeful. Until, all the visible injuries had healed but she felt nothing. With Pietro, there had been a tug, a stirring. With T'Chaka, there was nothing. His heart remained still.

T'Challa seemed to understand as her hands dropped back to her lap. He didn't say anything, just nodded at her as he removed a ring from his father's hand.

"I'm sorry." She murmured and walked away.

Already, it felt like her supposed plan was useless in the first place. Nothing had changed.

"What were you thinking?" Natasha's voice wasn't questioning, more like accusing. It surprised Corinne, but she probably deserved it.

The guilt clawed at her. "I don't know, it was all so fast and I couldn't move my shield all the way to the front to-"

Natasha stopped her in her rambling. Her voice softened as she spoke to her again. "No, not that. That wasn't your fault-we didn't expect this at all. I meant, what were you doing just now? Are you going to die on us again? The last time you tried this..."

_Oh_. Corinne shook her head. "I couldn't bring him back, it was too late, I think. Or he's not enhanced. Either way, I don't feel as drained as I did with Pietro. I think I'm alright."

The spy scrutinized her from head to toe. "I don't want to explain to the others how you died again. What if you couldn't be brought back? You have to try to have some more self-preservation, Corinne." She reprimanded her, but not harshly.

"I had to do something." Corinne said lamely.

"I know."

The ambulances and authorities had arrived to the scene. Corinne helped people get to medical help where she could, but everyone were cleared out within minutes. The police took her statement, and then she was left to her own devices to the side.

_Who would do this? Why here? Who would even-_

"-officials have released a video of a suspect who has been identified as James Buchanan Barnes, the Winter Soldier." A reporter's voice trailed to her as she walked pass the news vans. She froze.

_What?_

"Sentinel! Miss Lin!"

"Over here, Corinne!"

The reporters seemed to have noticed her nearby and were coming over. She blinked as flashes went off and microphones and cameras were pointed at her.

"You were in the building when the bomb went off-"

"-do you believe that the Winter Soldier did this?"

"Rumors say that you worked with the assassin while you were held by HYDRA-"

"-why do you think he set off his bomb? To target you and the Black Widow? Or the king?"

Even with her bewildered mind, she felt an anger burn in her. Why were they so quick to jump to conclusions? Why did they latch onto this theory so easily? Even if the footage was of Bucky, he wouldn't. He just wouldn't. Not of his own free will. She couldn't imagine the man that had slid into the booth across from her, troubled as he was, doing this. He changed. He woke up.

"No. I do not believe he did this." She said simply. They erupted in yelling and noise again, firing off more questions, until the UN security pushed them back.

"Do you support the Winter Soldier? Sentinel-"

"-are you still loyal to HYDRA?"

"You have the right not to answer any questions, Miss Lin." One of the officers said.

Despite that, she looked at a camera straight on. "I do not think we should accuse the innocent."

_Oops, I might regret that later. Stark's PR team is going to hate me._  
  
It made no sense for Bucky to attack the UN. Did he not agree with the Accord? Since when did this matter to him? He wanted to stay low, not have a target on his back. Wasn't he a master assassin, as good if not better than Natasha, an expert at stealth? He wouldn't have let his face get caught by any security camera! He had been a ghost story for a reason.

"-no, dispatch Special Forces. Shoot on sight. Barnes might be planning another attack, and he's dangerous. We can't risk letting him get away." Corinne heard someone by the police forces say into their phone.

"No, we don't need him alive." The man replied to whoever was on the other end. "Preferred, but not necessary."

Corinne felt a chill go down her spine. _They're going to kill him._

Her phone rang in her pocket. Absentmindedly, she slid it out and accepted the call without bothering to check who it was. "Hello?"

"Saw you on TV. That was...bold. Are you hurt?"

"Steve." She instantly felt better at the sound of her friend's voice, then realized what he was referring to. It must be difficult for him right now, seeing his best friend be accused. "I'm perfectly fine, thanks. And what I said? I meant every word."

"I know you did."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah, I wasn't the one in a bombing."

"You know what I mean." Corinne shook her head even though Steve couldn't see. "You're going after him, aren't you? I might be able to ask Alva, or even Heimdall where he is. I'll see what I can do-"

" _Corinne_. You signed, remember? Doing this is going to…"

"You literally told me to keep on superheroing without signing yesterday, Steve." She deadpanned, smiling at the small laugh on the other side. "I overheard the task force. They're shooting on sight, and I don't think they care if it's fatal. This is wrong. I'm going to protect Bucky."

She heard the super soldier take in a breath and release it slowly. "Thank you. And I think we have a lead."

* * *

"It's an eleven hour drive from here to Bucharest." Steve said was she flipped through the file. It was mostly reports-description of the man, when and where he shows up, and such. There was, however, a photo of his supposed apartment. It looked abandoned, run down. "A flight's an hour and a half."

"But the task force already has a head start, not to mention better resources." Sam added as he ended his phone call with a friend that owed him a favor.

Corinne hummed, then picked up the photo of the apartment. "I could teleport there, maybe."

"Could you do it?" Sam asked incredulously. He remembered her sudden appearance at the meeting with Ross, but she hadn't exactly explained it since then.

She shrugged, but determinedly stared at the photo. The quality of it wasn't so bad. "I usually need to have been there before to remember the details, but I've done it before with a sort of image from a...friend. This photo could work. Never know until you try, right?"

"It'll be great if you can do it-they're probably already halfway there." Steve said thoughtfully, in his Captain voice. Critical, objective, efficient. "Don't strain yourself, though. Nat told me what you did." The Steve she knew told her, giving her a pointed look but voice softening in concern.

Corinne smiled and nodded. "I don't feel as drained as I did before, so I think I'll be okay. Wouldn't be much help if I fall behind this early in the game." Despite how annoyed she was by Loki trying to expand her limits, she was thankful for that now. A year ago, she would already be exhausted.

Steve regarded her response carefully, but gave a curt nod in the end. "Do you need anything?"

"No, not really." She had already suited up, her uniform now being an essential wherever she went. She didn't really need it though, with her thin shield layer, like a second skin, constantly on her. But it was a habit that made her feel ready.

Corinne stood up from her chair, taking the photo with her. Hopefully it'll help with her teleportation. She stood in the middle of the hotel room and breathed deeply.

"See you soon." She shot one last grin at the two, and willed herself to be where the photo was.

It took her a bit more effort, but thankfully, she was able to teleport.

Once her disorientation had passed, she saw that she was behind a polished, new building. A quick glance down at the photo clutched in her hand confirmed that she was not where she wanted to be. Cars zoomed by on a street outside of her hiding place. A line of stores and restaurants was just across the street. Stalls were scattered here and there too, like a marketplace.

She swore under her breath. She had focused on the photo and the thought of finding Bucky, but apparently that wasn't enough.

She emerged from the alleyway and crossed the road. A couple of people cast her odd looks for wearing a fully black suit in broad daylight, but didn't bother her. It was a good thing she had a more subtle costume than Steve, she thought wryly. Otherwise, she would have gathered attention right away.

Maybe she could get instructions from a local here. She noticed with relief that a newspaper stand nearby had tourist pamphlets and books on Bucharest. She was in the right city, at least. Hopefully she could find the building before it was too late.

Corinne turned on her com. "In Bucharest, but not at the apartment. Going to ask someone for instructions."

"Understood." Steve replied promptly.

She was walking towards a cafe when she recognized the timbre of a man's voice. Corinne froze, and her eyes searched wildly for the source. There. A man wearing a cap and a green jacket was speaking to a woman running a fruit stand.

_Please be him._ She thought desperately as she hurried over. Her heart was thudding in her chest as she caught sight of the face under the hat.

Corinne was taken back by the easy smile on Bucky's face. He was smiling and conversing with the shop owner with ease, like a regular civilian just grocery shopping. The genuine grin he had made her smile, then frown. It was clear that things were working out for him. And soon, this would be ruined for him.

But seeing a glimpse of him being happy made her resolve even stronger. She already knew he couldn't have done the bombing, but seeing him now made her want to protect him even more. Corinne was not only going to never let them kill or hurt him, she was also going to make sure he smiled this way again-after the whole mess gets sorted out.

She hadn't really considered what she would say when she saw him, too preoccupied with finding him first. Now, he stood a few feet away from her and she was at a loss as to what to say.

He looked different from the last time she saw him, at Beth's bakery. There was something lighter about him now. When he sat across from her in the booth, he was gaunt and his eyes were haunted. The man in front of her now looked much better. Whatever he had been doing for the past couple years was clearly working. He seemed to sense her behind him, and turned around.

"Bucky." Corinne smiled. "Morning."

He was immediately on guard, sizing her up cautiously. He looked like he was about to run off. But, seeing something, the tension in his body slowly went away. A trace of a smile appeared on his face. "Good morning."

"You remember me, right?" It was a good sign he hadn't run off when she said his name, but she wasn't sure how much he recalled about her. Had his mind been stable enough for new memories?

"Yeah. Wouldn't forget you that easily." He readjusted his grip on his plastic bag full of plums. His eyes studied her again, lingering on the Avengers logo on her uniform. He set his jaw. "Are you here to take me in?"

Corinne shook her head. "I'm here to stop you from getting taken in. I don't know if you heard yet, but…"

Bucky's attention was on something over her shoulder. She turned to see the man running the newspaper stand staring, fear evident on his face, and sprint away. But not before calling someone on the phone.

Corinne swore under her breath again.

She followed Bucky to the newspaper stand where the man had left his paper behind. Corinne watched as he saw his own face under the accusing headline. He turned to her, looking at her in shock and confusion.

"I didn't do that." He said quietly to her. He put some distance between them, as if expecting her to handcuff him right then and there.

"I know. I'm here to help." Corinne said earnestly, not breaking his gaze. "They're sending special forces after you. They know where your apartment is and they were planning to ambush you there. I'm here to get you as far away as possible."

He looked at the article, then back at her again. Bucky's head shook. "I have to go back to the apartment. Need to get something."

"They have orders to shoot on sight."

"It's important-I'll be fast."

She followed Bucky to the actual apartment she was supposed to arrive at. It was only a few blocks away, but they rushed there nonetheless. He unlocked the front door and sprinted up the stairs. She stayed close behind him, eyes scanning to see if the coast was clear. It was, for now.

They had arrived on his floor when his gaze suddenly turned sharp. In a blink he was fully in front of her, pushing her back and listening intently to something she can't catch.

"I can go alone. There's a window behind you." He whispered.

"Don't need it." Did he think he could get rid of her so quickly? She made a shield in front of them to prove her point. However, she hadn't expected the forces to arrive so soon, and so quietly. There had been no cars or helicopters outside. "How many are there?" Corinne knew that like Steve, Bucky's senses were enhanced.

Bucky's head tilted as if it helped him listen better. He pulled a face, before realization flashed across his features. Did he know who it was? "Just one."

With not even a rustle of fabric or a tap on the floor, he silently slinked towards the intruder. Corinne followed closely behind, shields materialized and ready.

As she turned around the corner, she recognized the silhouette and shield of Steve immediately. His back was to them, browsing through a notebook. Bucky simply stood there.

Corinne thought about speaking, but something about this told her she shouldn't interrupt the moment. So she kept to herself at the back and waited, wondering what was going through Bucky's head.

Steve finally noticed Bucky's presence. A war of emotions happened on the blond's face. "Do you know who I am?" He asked tentatively.

"...You're Steve. I read about you in a museum."

"They've set the perimeter." Sam's voice interrupted. Corinne fidgeted by the doorway. They had to move on soon, or fight. Most likely the latter.

"I know you're nervous. And you have plenty of reason to be. But I know you're lying."

"I wasn't in Vienna. I don't do that anymore."

"They're entering the building." Sam reported again. She shook her head at that, finally coming into view. There wasn't any time to waste. She shut the door behind her and locked it for good measure.

"Well the peo-" Steve did a double take. "Corinne?"

"Hey." She held up her hand and wiggled her fingers. She noticed Bucky smile just the tiniest bit at Steve's surprise while his attention was directed elsewhere. "I found a local. He knows what's about to happen, so let's get what he needs and start moving-"

Steve's com crackled to life again. "They're on the roof. I'm compromised."

"This doesn't have to end in a fight, Buck." Steve said quickly but seriously.

"It always ends in a fight." The man replied dejectedly.

Corinne heard many footsteps make their way up the stairs, and many more just over their heads. "Guys…"

"Five seconds!"

"You pulled me from the river. Why?"

A heavy exhale. "I don't know."

"Three seconds."

"Yes you do."

Corinne realized with a jolt that there were people on the other side of the door, and turned-

"Breach! Breach! Breach!"

Something shot through the window, but Steve deflected it with his shield. She ignored the muffled explosion, trusting them, and placed a giant barrier over the door the force was trying to open. It didn't help much. Already, heavily armed men were pouring in through the other entrances.

_Just how many openings does this place have?_ She sent several blunt disks to knock them off their feet, and blocked bullets whenever she could. Which was a lot. _They really are aiming to kill him._ She thought bitterly.

All of the guns she smashed to pieces and men she knocked unconscious wasn't enough. Steve and Bucky were still fighting ones that swung in from the balcony behind her. She glanced over and saw Bucky throw a backpack outside.

It was what he had needed, apparently, as he fought viciously back to the front door. She diverted shots and cleared the path for him, making her way to the front door as well. Her heart rate spiked when she was too busy and a stray shot went near him. Luckily, he used his metal arm as his own shield.

That gave her an idea. "Here!" She shouted at Bucky.

He glanced back and caught the impromptu shield she made. Almost a second later, he used it to hide from gunfire and strike a man in the abdomen.

They were greeted with even more special forces as Bucky bust down the door. She had to immediately bring her shields up, moving them faster than she could think. No strategy, just reflex. Bucky was pummeling his way out, not exactly elegant but deadly efficient. He knew where he was going and he was determined to get there.

"Where are you-" She began, before another onslaught of the German forces rained down. She watched, with muted terror, as he swung down several stories with the railing like a vine.

"Corinne!" Steve yelled, a floor above her.

She heard shots being fired, then pain jabbing her in her back. She gasped at the sudden sensation. Her gaze swivelled around to see the culprit getting a shield to the his skull.

" _Corinne_." The captain shouted again, grunting as he punched and kicked men on his floor. "Tell me you're okay!"

She twisted around to look, but saw no blood and felt no agonizing pain. Her suit and shield layer had done their jobs. "I'm good!" She made quick work of several more special forces, before seeing Bucky knock down a door four floors below. "Going after him!"

Corinne made a shield big enough for her to stand on, and plunged down to the floor Bucky had been on. She continued to surf through the hallway and paused at the balcony. What she saw made her eyes widen.

Someone in a catlike black suit and mask was fighting Bucky.

And it looked like they had the upperhand.

Without hesitation, she flew herself down to where they were exchanging blows. The newcomer was clearly highly trained, and sent Bucky to the ground with lethal grace she has only seen in Natasha.

_And are those...claws?_  
  
She tried to insert a shield to separate the two, but to no avail. They were too close to each other, moving too fast. If she sent a shield in there, she could take off somebody's hand.

She got her opportunity when they finally stopped and held down Bucky. Corinne sent a shield at them, _hard_ , launching them far away from him. She kept on pushing them back, knowing that she couldn't beat them in hand to hand combat. If Bucky with his assassin training and supersoldier reflexes couldn't do it, how could she?

The choppy sound of a helicopter came overhead, and she only had a second to look up before they started firing rapidly. Her shield made any fatal bullets bounce off, but Falcon came to take care of it soon enough.

She looked behind herself and saw Bucky was already taking off, leaping off from the edge. A black blur sped past her not too long after.

Hopping onto yet another shield, she glided after them. Corinne tried to take down Bucky's pursuer while catching up, but they dodged each projectile deftly.

Car horns blared loudly as Bucky dropped down in the middle of traffic.

All three of them followed, Corinne zipping through the air while they ran at superhuman speeds. Sirens erupted behind them.

"Stand down!"

She willed her shield to go faster. She needed to get to Bucky. Corinne passed the assailant in black, but there was still a distance between her and Bucky.

More sirens. Seemed like the rest of the party was catching up. Police cars were coming from the back. Steve at some point had gotten himself a car, but was struggling to shake off the other chaser.

She spared a moment to look back and make a sweeping motion with her hand. A translucent wall appeared, blocking the wall of cars in pursuit.

Corinne continued to gain speed, the distance between her and Bucky having grown larger since her pause. She gasped as she turned back to see a whole barricade of police cars right in front of them. They were trapping them in.

Bucky avoided the vehicles narrowly and went into a different lane. He grabbed hold of a moving motorcycle, got onto it midair, and zoomed away. Corinne, despite the chase, gawped at him mounting the motorcycle. He did it so _smoothly_.

She was now just a couple meters behind him, making more walls for the police cars that had turned and was now chasing them again.

Bucky tossed something up on the ceiling of the tunnel. Not too long after, a small explosion caused the front to collapse. It made her lose her balance and fall off her shield, but she rolled into it and kept on running.

The masked stranger came out of nowhere and slashed the motorcycle's wheels. Corinne watched in slow motion as Bucky tumbled down from his bike.

The mask stood on top of Bucky, claws raised to strike.

She heard the sound of metal crunching too close behind her.

Corinne propelled herself to go faster.

She hurled herself into them, effectively sending them both to the ground.

They kicked at her before she could even get up, landing a blow to her chest. All of her breath expelled from her lungs, but she pushed them back with her disks. They persisted to move towards her, bent on getting to Bucky.

Any move either of them were about to make was cut off as the squeal of tires surrounded them and helicopters hovered ahead. Angry shouting came too, accompanied by the clicking of many guns.

Her hands made the motions to make a dome around them, but Steve gave a small shake of his head. Corinne gave him a searching look, but relented. She trusted his judgement. She moved closer to Bucky though, not fully trusting the German forces to keep their fingers away from the triggers.

Iron Patriot landed in front of them with a clang. "Stand down, now." Rhodey commanded. His guns and repulsors were aimed at each and every one of them. Steve put his shield on his back silently. "Congratulations, cap. You're a criminal."

The authorities were around them now, yelling orders. Resignedly, she let her hands rise in surrender.

Corinne felt her anger spike up again as they shoved Bucky down to the hard roughly. They put his restraints on forcibly, despite him not giving any aggression or resistance.

"Was that necessary?" She gritted out. They ignored her.

If these are the people she's going to take orders from, she doesn't want any part in it. Not anymore. When she signed, she wanted to protect. This wasn't protecting. How could she know, when and if she fights for this council, that she isn't defending the wrong side? What if the person on the other end was someone like Bucky? They hadn't even talked to him, _listened_ to him, before they barged into his home guns blazing.

Her trail of thought ended abruptly, however. The mask had brought their hands up to take off the helmet, and revealed their face.

T'Challa stared intently back.

He looked down at Bucky, then back at them. There wasn't a need for words. In his eyes, they could see it. A promise.

She glanced at Bucky, who was being harshly pushed into a heavily armed truck. She clenched her fists in her handcuffs.

_He deserves better than this.  
_

* * *

**She's with Bucky! Yay? Nay? What's going to be the consequences of disobeying the Accord? Is she fully team cap now?**

**Hope that was good! Struggled with the action since it's been a while, and the usual struggle of how much should I change/is this too much? Main thing-tried to emphasize her shift in view this chap.**

**Thank you thank you thank you for the comments and favs and follows! I get giddily happy whenever I get an alert! Wrote 2k the day after chap 27 because I got so excited. To all those who have been posting reviews, extra big merci! I live off of feedback and am totally up for just discussions about civil war in general lol**

**Updates will be biweekly, hopefully. Still have finals. Last one is 23, so if I'm not completely fried I can manage a chap by 25...hopefully.**

**Going the NYC for the first time starting last week of june, so that might affect chapters. Excited to be going to where the Avengers "live". Any places I should go/advice?**

**06.10.16.**


	29. Chapter 29

**I'm back from deathhhh**

* * *

After the most awkward car ride ever, they arrived at the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre.

Any amicability T'Challa had towards her the day before was long gone, replaced by an aloof warrior out for revenge. If it hadn't been obvious enough before, he made his intention clear in the van. Corinne felt sympathy for the new and grieving king, but there was no way she was letting him kill Bucky.

She didn't like how Bucky was separated from them and kept out of their sight. Corinne didn't have any trust for these people. It would be all too easy for them to change their mind, and decide a different fate for him.

"I can get him out of here." Corinne murmured quietly to Steve once Commander Everett Ross finished talking. "Might not be a move they're going to be happy with, but I can do it."

The building was swarming with security appointed at every corner, but she could manage it. Maybe. She could get Bucky out of his confines, at least. Glass and metal had never been a problem for her disks. Then, she could fly them out of here somehow. Plenty of easily breakable windows here.

Steve looked back at where his best friend was caged like an animal. It was tempting. Bucky would be safe, far away from all these armed men with their fingers on their triggers. But running away? That wouldn't help their case in the end.

"No, not now." He replied reluctantly.

They were lead away from Bucky, through a hall, and into what looked like the control room. Tony was jabbering away on his phone as they entered, but he ended his call as soon as they did.

"Consequences?" Steve said.

"Secretary Ross wants both of you prosecuted. I had to give him something." Tony then looked sternly at Corinne and pointed at her with his phone. "And _you_. You are also in trouble."

"I figured."

"That stunt with the reporters and now this? You're going to be the death of me." He started walking away with Natasha. "I'm surprised Ross hasn't decided what to do with you yet."

"I'm not getting my shield back, am I?" The super soldier beside her asked.

* * *

When Wanda wandered into the kitchen, she was pleasantly surprised. She wasn't lying when she declared her spirits lifted. As great company as Vision and her brother was, she couldn't help but feel that the compound was far too empty. That, and the worrying news reports she saw on TV. It was, for a lack of a better word, sweet of Vision to try to cook something for her.

Even though he used cayenne instead of paprika.

"I'm going to go to the store. I'll be back in twenty minutes." She hadn't outside the facility grounds in a while. It might lift her spirits even more, she mused. Lately there's just been no excuse to go out and plenty of excuses to stay in.

Vision blocked her way. "Alternatively, we could order a...pizza?"

Suspicion crept into her mind at his forced casualness. "Vision, are you not letting me leave?"

"It is a question of safety."

She smiled. That was endearing. "I can protect myself."

"Not yours." Vision now physically halted her from continuing. She knew, in that moment, that she had been right. "Mr. Stark would like to avoid the possibility of another public incident. Until the Accords are under a much more secure foundation."

"And what do you want?" She challenged, irritation flaring up.

"For people to see you as I do." Vision looked at her steadily, earnest.

"And how do you see her?" A new voice said. Pietro, with his arms crossed, was scowling just behind them.

Vision blanched. The normally put together, articulate android suddenly spluttered. "Well, Wanda is, I think-"

"Pietro." Wanda sighed exasperatedly.

Her brother shrugged nonchalantly. "I want to hear what he thinks." Something unspoken shone in his eyes. He waited.

"Wanda is...not detestable! Yes, I would like people to see that. That she is likeable-"

"Likeable? Do you like her, Vision?"

If an android could flush, he would be doing it right now. It was a good thing he was already red. "She is...tolerable?"

" _She_ is right here. And she wants to leave." Wanda rolled her eyes, wanting to save Vision from putting his foot any farther into his mouth and any further awkwardness. "Pietro, come on."

Pietro followed her with great hesitation, but not before sending Vision one last glare. He made the universal gesture that he was going to be keeping an eye on Vision.

* * *

Steve stormed out of one of the 'offices', looking absolutely livid. Through the glass walls, Corinne could see Tony inside, looking equally as incensed.

_Not great timing._ She bit her lip, dawdling just outside. _Oh well._

"Hey." She stepped into the room and sat in the chair across from Tony.

Tony had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he hadn't realized her presence. His head snapped up at the sound of her voice, and he scowled. "I can't believe you're being so blind, following naïve and _idealistic_ Cap around. You signed-"

"I'm not following Steve around." Corinne crossed her arms in front of her. "I knew what I was doing. James Barnes's life was in danger. And what was I supposed to do? Wait around until Ross gave me the okay?"

"That's the whole point of the Accords! You don't make the calls. And, his life wasn't in _danger_." Tony leaned back in his seat, fingers rubbing at his temple.

"Really? You really think they were trying their best to bring him back alive and whole with the way they were shooting? If we weren't there, what would have happened?" She took in a shuddering breath and reeled herself back in. She hadn't realized how much of this anger she was holding inside. It shouldn't be directed at her friend. Corinne continued as evenly as she could. "I don't want to be under the orders of these people. I don't trust them."

To her surprise, Tony's agitation lessened slightly. The man scoffed. "Of course not. I don't either. But what other option is there? We need supervision." He said the last word dully. His hands fiddled with a long, slim box on the table.

"We do." Corinne agreed. This was getting nowhere. They did need oversight, but not from these people. They needed people they could trust-

"We can make our own agreement."

Tony stilled. "And scrap the Sokovia Accords?"

Corinne raised a brow. "Do you think the Accords are working so far?"

He shrugged. "So let's say you manage to do that, be able to get past Ross and the UN, then what? How can our own agreement be any better?"

"Well first of all, we need more input from other people. You and I both know there's more enhanced people out there, but they never got a say in the Accords. _We_ never did. It was handed to us." Corinne paused thoughtfully. "And then, for the council, we can't have the UN just appoint anyone. They could be HYDRA or AIM for all we know. We'll choose, elect, or whatever, people we trust. Not so the council will do what we want, but because honestly, I doubt the council they're thinking of right now have any idea what to do in a real crisis."

"People from SHIELD, then."

"Something like that. Anyone other than Ross-is it just me or is everyone just ignoring what he did before and with Bruce?" She shook her head in disbelief. "And let's be honest. You hate taking orders from anyone, especially these people, anyway. It wasn't going to be too far from now that you break the rules yourself."

He smirked at that. It was a startling sight. She hadn't had a chance really look at him until now, but Tony was more worn out than usual. Not an exhaustion from a science bender, but a tiredness that came from all this stress. She wouldn't put it past him that he wasn't able to sleep peacefully either. His fatigue, now that she was up close, was seeping through his mannerisms and showing in the deep circles under his eyes.

"When was the last time you slept?" She asked in concern.

"You know I don't sleep." He brushed her off. His gaze turned beyond the glass walls, observing the hubbub of CIA personnel.

She let out a heavy sigh. "But you should."

"Hypocrite." He said, studying her in return. "You flew to London, then Vienna, then to Romania, and you're not a bit jet lagged? Or tired from fighting the special forces?"

"I'll promise to sleep if you sleep." She offered with a half smile.

"Pinky promise?" He wiggled his pinky finger at her jokingly.

She laughed and hooked hers around his. "Seriously, though."

He hummed distractedly, spinning the box on the table.

"Hey," she said softly, "me helping Bucky isn't me choosing Steve's side over yours. Just like me signing wasn't the other way around."

"So you're on both sides." He said skeptically. "That's a hard game to play, Cor."

"I want the team to stay together." She stated with conviction. "If I have to be a, middle man or something, I'm okay with that."

Tony met her gaze again. He stared at her thoughtfully for a long moment, before looking down again at the box. He flipped it open and revealed two gleaming fountain pens. Tony took one of them and held it towards her. "Want a pen? They're vintage, 1941-if you're into that kind of thing."

Corinne's eyebrows went up. Even looking at the make of the pens without knowing the date, she could tell they weren't cheap. "Thanks, but I don't need-"

"Nope! Here," he pressed the pen into her hand, "just take it. It would be collecting dust in the archives anyway. Roosevelt won't mind."

"Roosevelt?" Corinne held the pen gently as if it'll break. "No, no, no, Tony-this should be in a museum!" She moved to give it back to him, but he shook his head.

"I don't like to be handed things." He grinned. "Put it to good use. Write and sign that new agreement."

She knew that once Tony made his mind, there'd be no changing it. Corinne sighed and carefully slipped it into her pocket. "Thanks, then." She got up and shot one last smile at him. "Take care."

He gave her a small nod. "You too."

She stepped out of the room and promptly got her breath was forcefully knocked out of her.

"Sorry!" She picked up the briefcase the other person had dropped.

The suited man fixed his lopsided glasses. "No, no, I'm sorry. Thank you." He accepted his briefcase with a smile. The accent inflecting his words was soft, almost too subtle to notice. But it wasn't German like she expected. No, it was an accent that was a bit more familiar. She's heard it before, and pretty often...

But before she could say more, the man had nodded and gone on his way. She turned around to watch him speak to Everett Ross, and then lead through a door to the side by security.

"Who was that?" She asked as she saw Natasha. "Brown hair, hipster glasses, went through that door."

"Theo Broussard. Psychiatrist here to do the eval for Barnes." She replied easily, then glanced at Corinne. "Something wrong?"

"I…" _This is probably me being too tired._ "It's nothing." They watched on the screen as Theo Broussard entered the room Bucky was in.

Natasha narrowed her eyes at her. "Clearly it isn't nothing."

"Broussard...he's what, French?"

"Swiss."

Corinne nodded at the screen and the conversation taking place. "It's just...his accent didn't sound German, or even Swiss, to me. I'm no expert in this and I'm probably wrong, though."

Natasha's head tilted as she listened more attentively to the psych eval. The moment her expression hardened Corinne felt the sinking feeling in her gut.

"He could have been living in a different country for several years, changing his speech..." The spy said as she made a beeline for Everett Ross.

"But?" Corinne urged as she followed her swift strides.

"The accent's Sokovian. He's trying to hide it, but not well. Ross!"

The room went dark.

The lights, the tech, everything shut off. Only flashing red lights illuminated the control room, and they could no longer see what was happening with Bucky. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Steve and Sam dash out of their room.

_I need to get to Bucky._

Who knew what Broussard was going to do? Corinne squeezed her eyes shut, and tried to envision the room she had been watching through the feed only moments ago.

_Come on…  
_

* * *

The second she felt her entire being come to rest, she was slammed against the wall.

Something cold and unrelenting was gripping her, and she opened her eyes to see Bucky.

"Bucky," she was breathing harshly but relieved. "It's okay, it's just me. Where's Broussard?"

He didn't respond. Corinne felt a paralyzing chill go down her spine as she stared into his blank gaze. There was no recognition, no emotion in those blue eyes. This wasn't Bucky. This was the Soldier.

"James." She tried again, even as his metal arm whirred when she spoke. " _Bucky_ , we need to find the psychiatrist."

"Что мне делать с ней?" The Winter Soldier's words were but a low growl.

"Подождите, солдат." The man she had been looking for answered. He had been just behind Bucky this whole time.

Corinne glared at Broussard over Bucky's shoulder. With a thought and a flick of her hand, she got the psychiatrist trapped in a bubble.

The Soldier wrapped his metal fingers around her throat when she endangered his handler. Corinne let out a strangled gasp. As he restricted her breathing even more, her vision blurred and grew dark at the edges. Her lungs burned. Sharp agony lanced through her head. Her body slackened. Distantly, she wondered if Alva had seen this coming.

"Подождите, солдат!" Broussard had been released from her shield while she was preoccupied with being suffocated. He reverted back to English. "I want to try something."

He loosened his hold just enough for her to take in a gulp of air. Her head spun. Corinne's hazy mind dimly registered Broussard open a scarlet book.

"Желающий." The simple word rolled off of the man's tongue.

Corinne's eyes widened. Such a simple word, but one she had heard of many times. Broussard grinned and continued.

"Ржаветь."

A phantom pain, not from her choking, pierced her head. It was different this time. Not a single slash, but several tiny bolts of pain shooting through like lightning. She could almost feel the cool metal beneath her, the straps holding her down-

" _...Семнадцать." Bonny enunciated the word carefully. Strucker loomed nearby, flipping through the rest of the notes that been sent from the other base._

" _How did Zola think of this?" He muttered to himself, absentmindedly flicking a switch so electricity surged through her._ _His full attention was on the copies._

_Bonny ignored him. "Рассвет."_

_Corinne clenched her eyelids closed, willing herself to ignore the torment. To ignore the words._

_"Печь."_

_But if she just obeyed, then there'd be no more pain._

_"Девять."_

_No, no. Think of Bruce, Natasha, Clint-_

_"Доброкачественный."_

_Thor, Tony-_

_"возвращение на родину."_

_Beth._

_"Один."_

_Steve._

" _грузовой автомобиль," Bonny paused. "Щит,..."  
_ __  
"...готовы соблюдать?" Broussard finished and looked at her expectantly.

The Soldier watched her warily, assessing her every movement.

She raised her gaze.

* * *

**Translations (in order)**   
**Bucky: What do I do with her?**   
**Zemo: Wait, soldier. (x2)**   
**Rest are the trigger words**

**What's gonna happen? Is Corinne going to be okay? Is she actually going to give in?**

**Find out...hopefully not in a month. I can't apologize enough :( I'll save my reasons and just keep on working on the next chapter. 700 words down so far**

Thank you for reading and putting up with my erratic schedule :))))

**07.09.16.**


	30. Chapter 30

**Superrrrrrr long chapter plus bonus scene/possible preview to make up for wait?**

* * *

" _...готовы соблюдать?" Broussard finished and looked at her expectantly. The Soldier watched her warily, assessing her every movement._

_Her whole body was wracked with tremors as she breathed uneasily. Her gaze was past Broussard, faraway. There was a tense silence as she closed her eyes._

_She raised her gaze._

Steve was terrified.

Even as he sprinted to the room, fear gripped his heart. He has lost his best friend far too many times. First on the train, then on the Helicarrier… He could not lose Bucky again.

"Help me…" A voice weakly croaked. It was the psychiatrist on the floor. No sign of Bucky. "Help."

Urgency controlled him as he held up the psychiatrist by his shirt. He had a feeling that the man wasn't completely innocent. "Get up. Who are you, what do you want?"

His suspicions were confirmed when the man's expression completely changed. "To see an empire fall."

The super soldier turned around at a sound of impact and crumbling. Bucky had punched the wall in an attempt to hit Sam, and the two men were now fighting vigorously.

Steve moved to intervene, but an unseen force shoved him back and his body made a painful collision with the wall. He strained against the force, absolutely bewildered. It wasn't until a figure emerged from behind Bucky's cage that he understood.

"Corinne." He froze in his attempts to get free. His heart stopped for a beat as he realized that she had the same vacant gaze as Bucky. She wasn't in control of herself.

_No no no. Please, not again. Not her too.  
_  
" _Corinne._ It's Steve-"

Before he could finish his sentence, he found himself being lifted and pummeled into the unforgiving cement floor.

He could taste copper as he got up with a grunt. He had to immediately block a punch as she went to hand to hand combat. She charged at him relentlessly, more vicious than in all of their spars combined. Steve deflected and ducked as she pulled moves only Natasha could have taught her.

Steve didn't want to, _couldn't_ , fight her. Not only was he afraid that he would accidentally hurt her, but it pained him to have to fight his friend. His reluctance was his downfall, however, when Corinne managed to wrestle him to the ground using momentum and her thighs.

"Corinne. " He tried again, absentmindedly noting that Sam and Bucky were still at it. This time, hesitation flickered across her face. He smiled tentatively, hopeful. He wracked his brain for something. "Mo chroí."

Corinne stopped striking him. She blinked, looking around herself in confusion, then at him. "Steve?" Her gaze was drawn towards Bucky throwing Sam at the cage, _hard_. "Why is he? Sam!"

"Щит!" The nearly forgotten psychiatrist suddenly barked as they rushed towards Sam. "наступление ночи!"

Corinne went slack and dropped.

Steve's eyes widened and he dove to catch her before her head hit the floor. But just as his arms wrapped around her, he was forced to stumble back and let go.

The Soldier, having rendered Sam unconscious, was now focusing all his attention towards Steve. Steve did his best to fight back, but he was still ruthlessly pushed back. Eventually, his opponent tossed him down the elevator shaft.

* * *

Sam furtively glanced around him before entering the old factory.

"Anyone follow you?" Steve called from the level above.

"No, I made sure of it." He adjusted the arm around his shoulders. Steve came quickly to take the other side, draping Corinne's arm over his shoulders.

After waking up and losing Broussard, Sam had sneaked back in and brought Corinne out. Steve and him figured that she wouldn't want to stay and have to confront Ross. And if she wanted to go back to Stark, well...she could just teleport away.

"She's still unconscious?" Steve's brow furrowed. He took her pulse. It was steady, thankfully.

"Didn't even stir when I was getting her here." Sam shook his head. "Did her head get hit hard? Might be a concussion."

Steve looked over Corinne worriedly. "A concussion shouldn't last this long. And she didn't hit her head-the psychiatrist, I think he said something. A trigger."

They set her down carefully against a wall. "And she just went out like a light?"

"Yeah." The super soldier nodded. "She overcame Broussard's control before that, though. She recognized me."

Sam patted Steve sympathetically. He couldn't imagine having two of his best friends brainwashed. "She'll wake up. I'll keep an eye on Barnes, you can be on the lookout."

It didn't take long for Bucky to regain consciousness with a groan.

After making sure he was himself, they sorted out what had happened. The therapist was the one who bombed Vienna, and had wanted the location of an old Siberian HYDRA base. And not just any facility, a facility where a whole squad of Winter Soldiers slept. Waiting.

"We need to go as soon as we can." Bucky inspected his metal arm for any damage as they released it from the clamp.

"As soon as we have a plan." Steve muttered absentmindedly as his mind worked at a strategy.

"Do you think she'll want to come?" Sam said.

"Who?"

Sam led him to where Corinne was still propped up against the wall, unconscious. "Steve said Broussard, or whoever he is, said a trigger. She's been like this ever since."

"I think I know what he said." Bucky said solemnly. He felt guilt wash over him at the sight of her. She had been another attempt at a Winter Soldier, because of him. Because of him, she was always in danger of being activated. "They had words in case an asset ever went rogue. Knocks them out."

"Do you know what to say to wake her up?"

He nodded, steeling himself. He hated the words they used, hated the power they had over him. And now, _he_ had to say them. "Рассвет."

Corinne's eyes snapped open. She scrambled up as she absorbed her new surroundings. Her gaze was wild, frenzied in her panic. She looked utterly lost.

"Corinne…" Steve said slowly.

She finally noticed his presence, and flinched back.

Sam and Steve shared a look. She was acting like a cornered animal and it wouldn't be too long until she chose either fight or flight. Sam nodded at him as he and Bucky slowly retreated to give her some space.

Steve tried to remember what got to her last time. What was it he said last time? "Mo chroí, it's me."

It was gradual, but the clouded look in her gaze disappeared. "Steve?" She got up on shaky legs.

_Ugh, my brain feels like it got tossed into a blender._ She put a hand to her head at the sudden rush of vertigo.

Steve was quick to come and support her. His strong arms easily helped her get her footing. "Hey, there's no rush. Are you hurt anywhere?"

"No, just kind of sore." She rubbed at her neck. "I don't really..." Corinne swore under her breath when she remembered what had happened. "Did I hurt you? I thought only Bonnie and Strucker knew those words. Steve, I'm so sorry-"

Steve pulled her into a hug before she could finish. She calmed down and let herself melt into it. "I'm fine." He said.

"How did you get through?" Corinne pulled back to look at her friend.

"I said mo chroí."

"Oh." Her face fell.

"You sound like you have an idea why it worked."

"Bonnie was my handler because she…she looked like Beth. HYDRA did this so that, when my brain was in shambles, I would mistake her for Beth. It gave me this false sense of security and trust. Made me follow orders without questioning, sometimes.

It didn't always work. I'd break through the conditioning. One time, they brought in someone that looked like you. To help set up more triggers, and to make it so that if I ever encountered you again, I wouldn't trust you." She smiled bitterly. "They had him call me Corinne, Cor, and he was pretty convincing."

"But he never called you mo chroí."

"No, he didn't." She looked back at him. Corinne grinned. "Nothing beats the real deal."

She went over to a window. Outside was a body of water, a dock, and a single gleaming building not too far away. The Joint Counter Terrorist centre. "This is closer than I thought we'd be."

"Hiding in plain sight. They probably think we're two countries away by now-" It had been dark where Sam had brought her in, but now, in the light coming from the window, he could see the damage on her neck. There were finger shaped bruises angrily marring the expanse of her throat. His shoulders went rigid. "Your neck…"

She reached up to touch it. A look of realization crossed her face, but she gave her friend a reassuring smile. "Not his fault. It'll fade."

Steve's face went from angry to shocked to guilty.

"Where's Sam? Is Bucky…" Corinne worried her bottom lip between her teeth. Was going against the Accords in Bucharest all for nothing? Did they bring Bucky right back into HYDRA's clutches again?

"They're both with us." Steve forced himself to look away from the bruises, leading her to the other room in the warehouse.

Sam and Bucky looked up when they came in. Sam shot her a grin, while Bucky ducked his head. The former assassin's avoidance of meeting her eyes didn't go unnoticed. Corinne frowned, but dismissed it for now.

She saw that they were looking at a map of Europe on Sam's phone. "What's the plan?" She had no hesitation.

Steve intervened before Sam could respond. "Corinne, what we're about to do next…"

"Worse than Bucharest?" Corinne shook her head. "I'm already on the bad side of Ross. I don't care. It's clear someone's after Barnes-I'm helping."

The two stared each other down. After several long beats, Steve relented with a sigh. "I just want you to be sure."

"I know." She smiled softly. "But you're going to need all the help you can get. So what do we know so far?"

"Well, first of all, we've got a deadly assassin squad in Siberia…" Sam began.

After he filled her in, she exhaled heavily. "I don't suppose you've got a picture of the place lying around somewhere? I could get there before Broussard even gets on a plane."

"Nope."

"You shouldn't be using your powers so soon, anyway. You need to rest." Steve said firmly. "And we need to do this together."

Sam looked at each of them. Four of them, versus five highly trained super soldiers and whatever Ross throws at them. "Even together, we might not be enough."

"We can make a few calls." Corinne suggested. She glanced outside, to where the Joint Counter Terrorist Centre is. "We should probably find a way to get our gear back too."

"I think I know someone who can help with that." Steve slid his phone out.

_Okay, so Sam will get his wings and Steve will get his shield. Plus the suits._ Corinne looked away, her eyes landing on where Bucky has been keeping to himself. She grimaced as she came to a realization. __  
  
"Bucky doesn't have a protective suit or any gear."

The man himself seemed surprised that she addressed this, but he shook his head. "I don't need any." He lifted his metal arm as if it would explain enough.

"No, she's right. You need some sort of protection." Steve said. "Sharon might be able to grab some standard uniform…" But it probably won't be made of the same high tech material their Avengers suits were made of.

"Wait. I have an idea." Corinne faced Bucky. "Would you be okay with me covering you in a shield?"

Bucky gave her a bewildered look. "Wouldn't that be...inconvenient? I need my hands free, and I'm not like Steve here."

"No, not like that. I mean, a thin, flexible one that I always wear during missions. It's right on top of my skin and I've had it block alien energy blasts, bullets…" She trailed off, looking at him uncertainly. "Out of all of us, you're the one they care least about if a stray shot."

Steve visibly winced at the painful truth. The world didn't see Bucky as Bucky Barnes. They saw him as a HYDRA assassin that needed to be stopped, no matter how it was done. They could bring him in, but if he became gone in the process...they wouldn't care. It doesn't matter to them that he was brainwashed, that he was a prisoner himself. Even if the explosion hadn't happened at the UN, they would have still used him as a scapegoat.

Bucky took in her words without much of a reaction, as if he had already accepted the fact. He probably did, Corinne figured, remembering the accepting, defeated look he had when the special forces were breaking into his apartment. Instead, he looked a bit stupefied.

"You would do that for me?" He murmured quietly, disbelief at her offer of help coloring his tone.

Corinne had to resist the strong urge to hug the broken man. Her resolve to protect him grew stronger, her anger at the government burned brighter. "Of course." She nodded earnestly.

Bucky stared at her for a long moment, before giving her a nod. "Thank you."

Behind him, Steve sent her his own grateful look. Sam flashed her a grin.

A delighted smile of her own graced her lips. She held out her hands, her yellow magic curling around her fingers. "Alright, this is going to tickle a bit."

Bucky let out a weird puff of breath, like a snort. A wry grin tugged at the corners of his mouth. "That won't be a problem."

She covered him from the neck down to his torso, making sure his vital regions had the most protection. She made the areas by his throat and his heart extra thick in the shield. His left arm she left unprotected, figuring he would be fine there with the way he had deflected bullets with it last time.

_I hope this is enough_.

"How does it feel?"

Bucky moved around, flexing his arm to test it out. "It's...light. Don't feel much." He gave her a tentative attempt at a smile. She smiled back.

"Okay, so the gear stuff is all figured out. What's next?"

"We need a ride."

* * *

"Steve, when you said you procured a car…" Corinne trailed off.

"We weren't expecting this." Sam finished for her, deadpanning.

Steve simply shrugged and climbed into the driver's seat. The driver's seat of the blue, _tiny,_ Volkswagen Beetle. The car they were going to be crammed in for several hours.

"At least it's inconspicuous." Corinne sighed halfheartedly, thinking of just how little space there would be for just three men-two of which were super soldiers. "Who would think Captain America would be making a getaway in a Beetle?"

"Who would think Captain America could _fit_ in a Beetle?" Sam added without skipping a beat. "I call shotgun!"

Corinne groaned. "Thanks, Sam."

"Hey, you're only here until Clint gives the okay!"

She climbed into the back grudgingly, and Bucky wordlessly followed her in. She glanced around, and had to restrain herself from laughing. They were all far too big for this car. If the car's ceiling was any lower, they would have to hunch over. In fact, Steve seemed to be already slightly slouching, and she wouldn't be surprised if one of them hit their head when they got out.

Once everyone was buckled in, they were off.

Nobody said much as Steve took them through the less busy roads. They did lay low for several hours-planning and getting what little rest they could. The helicopters have stopped circulating the area, but it was still good to careful. At some point, Sam turned on the radio to fill the silence. Some upbeat German pop song played, clashing with the somber atmosphere.

Eventually, after taking all kinds of twists and turns to throw anyone off their trail, they reached the rendezvous point.

Bucky and Sam waited in the car as Steve and her met with Sharon.

"Thanks, Sharon." Corinne accepted the bag the agent handed her. "Really." She, like Steve, didn't know the agent all that well, but she admired her ability and was grateful for her sacrifice.

Steve echoed her thanks. "They're going to come looking for you."

"I know." Sharon replied readily. "But hey, I get to travel around."

Corinne laughed. "That's one way to look at it."

"I needed the time off anyway, honestly. It's only been a couple days since..."

Peggy.

They nodded, understanding. For Steve, the grief was still raw. Neither of them have had the time to fully grieve, what with the whirlwind of events sweeping them up. It was now like opening a healing wound too, seeing and knowing that the woman in front of him was her niece. But it was also comforting to know another person knew Peggy Carter.

"Let's keep in touch." Corinne said to her as they shouldered the last of the delivery.

Agent Thirteen smiled. "Of course. Stay safe."

As Steve put everything in the trunk, Corinne picked up one of the smuggled items and made her way back into the car.

"Move your seat up, Wilson! Do you really need all this space?" She nudged him teasingly.

"Yes." The man rolled his eyes and got out of the car so she could crawl in. He stretched instinctively with a groan. "You know what, I'm taking a walk. If I'm in that tiny car for a second longer, I'm going to go crazy."

Bucky still looked away from her as she sat in the back again. If it was any other person, she would have considered the silent treatment rude. But she knew that right now, Bucky being angry at her couldn't be farther from the truth. He was likely angry towards himself.

"I thought you might want this back."

The man reluctantly looked up to see his backpack in her hands. His lips parted in surprise. "How did you…"

"I made a request." She smiled. If the backpack hadn't been so important to him, he wouldn't have gone back to get it in Bucharest. She watched as he rummaged through it, carefully pulling out several well used notebooks. His shoulders subtly relaxed once he got everything out.

"Thank you." He murmured. He finally looked at her, jaw clenching. His hand reached out, as if to touch the bruising on her neck, but he quickly retracted it. He cast his eyes down in guilt. "I hurt you...I'm sorry."

"I forgive you." She said, meaning every word.

Bucky looked at her disbelievingly. "Just like that?"

"It wasn't your fault. And even if it were, what can you do about it?"

"What can I do?" He repeated, but seemed to be actually thinking about it himself. And not just about what happened between the two of them, but overall. Bucky breathed out heavily and started putting the notebooks back into his bag. He fiddled with the zipper. "What do you want me to do?" He looked perplexed, expecting her to tell him what she wanted by doing all this.

Corinne shrugged. "For starters, maybe don't ignore me? The rest is up to you, though."

Bucky looked back down at his backpack. "Oh. I figured since I hurt you that you wouldn't want to..."

"No, of course not." She murmured, saddened by his reasoning. But before she could say more the burner phone vibrated. She opened up the message, revealing a Google Earth photograph of a suburban neighborhood and the name _Scott_ underneath. "That's Clint's signal."

They had agreed that teleporting just one more time would be fine, since she's had rest since then. It would speed things up a bit, too. She would go recruit whoever it was once Clint sent her the image, meanwhile Clint would go get the twins. Everyone would then meet at the Leipzig-Halle airport to depart for Siberia.

Everything will be fixed soon enough.

They just had to beat a couple of super soldier assassins, right?

* * *

Bonus:

Teleporting to the calm neighborhood, she wasn't expecting any surprises. She should have known better.

"You here to recruit me?" A boisterous voice said.

Corinne slowly turned around, body tense and ready to flee. "Excuse me?" Her confusion was furthered as she saw the speaker.

It was a man in a bright, red suit. Not like a businessman's or Santa's, but one like a superhero's. He had two swords, katanas, strapped to his back. Even without the SHIELD training she could recognize the various other weapons on his body. She backed away from him a bit. His face, unreadable thanks to the red and black mask, was still so expressive. He was clearly waiting patiently for her answer, but Corinne wasn't sure what to make of him.

_Did Ross send this guy? How did they track me? I hope the others haven't been found…_  
  
"I'm sorry, I think you've got the wrong person." She smiled and walked away, but staying aware of any sudden movements. How is this guy walking around with so many weapons on him in broad daylight?

"Aw, Corinne, don't do this! I know I'm kinda in the wrong colour for Team Cap, but I can-"

She cut him off and tugged him under the shade of a big tree. He was attracting way too much attention in the otherwise quiet neighborhood. "Okay, you know who I am. What do you want? Do you work for Ross?" She tried to disregard the slightly darker scarlet splatter stains on his suit.

"Ross? Bleh, no fuc-"

"-okay. I don't think Ross would hire you." She narrowed her eyes. "Look, I'm kinda in a rush here to meet someone. Please just, leave me alone. I'm not here to recruit you." As desperate as they were for help, they weren't desperate enough to trust just any weird stranger.

The costumed man put up his hands in defeat. "Alright, your loss! I tried. Also the page break is coming soon. Name's Deadpool, though, just so you know!"

Corinne tried to reign in her bewildered expression. "Alright...I'll keep that in mind?"

Satisfied with her answer, he bounded off. "Scott's just a block away!"

"How did you-" She shook her head and just kept on walking where she was going before.

* * *

**Headcanon: Steve knows Irish cause of his mom Sarah. Or, at least, some terms of endearment? Some Steve and Corinne moments for those who ship it, or just good ol platonic bff protectiveness if that's your jam**   
**  
So my reasoning/thoughts about Corinne and her triggers is that they worked to some extent, but not as well as Bucky's. That's why hers was so much easier to break through. He went through years, decades, of conditioning. While hers was a couple months**

**Also if she was in her right mind she could've just bubbled Zemo and Bucky and movie would just end, haha**

**Thoughts would be welcome! ;)**

**08.10.16.**


	31. Chapter 31

**Just a heads up-there's gonna be description during the airport battle that might be too much. Skip reading it if you need to**

* * *

"Hi!"

Corinne looked down. A little girl, probably not more than ten years old, was smiling brightly up at her. Not exactly who Corinne expected to open the door, but there she is. She smiled back. "Hi."

The girl tilted her head and regarded her curiously. "I think you were on TV."

"I've been on a couple times." Corinne bent down so she was eye level with her. "I'm Corinne."

"I'm Cassie! I'm seven." She said proudly.

"Wow, seven? That's pretty awesome." Corinne's eyes widened. "I'm only five."

Cassie giggled adorably. "No way!"

"You got me. I'm over one thousand years old." Technically, that might be true.

"Peanut?" A voice called from within the house. "You shouldn't answer the door on your own, it's-"

A frazzled looking brunet man froze at the sight of her. A light went off in Corinne's head as she saw his face. It was the shrinking guy Sam and her had fought! No wonder the name had sounded familiar. Only now, he was wrapped up in a hot pink feathered boa and a plastic tiara was perched on top of his head.

"Daddy, this is Corinne!" Cassie bounced on her toes excitedly. She stage whispered conspiratorially. "She's been on TV!"

"Hey Scott." She waved. "Mind if I come in?"

Scott blanched and reached for the doorknob. "Is this about that time-uh, maybe some other-"

"Can Corinne join us? Please?" Cassie went back to Corinne, took her hand, and tugged her inside. "She's so cool!"

"Cassie, I don't think-"

"Thanks, Daddy!"

Scott sighed and shut the door while Cassie led Corinne into the living room. A tiny table littered with tiny plastic cups and plates was in the center. Corinne was seated beside a...unique looking stuffed bunny. Cassie busied herself with the teapot while Scott reluctantly joined them.

"Here you go!" Cassie chirped as she handed Corinne a cup.

Corinne accepted it and pretended to take a sip. "Thank you. It's very good."

Cassie puffed with pride, then jumped up. "Oh, I forgot something! I'll be right back."

Scott stared at Corinne. Corinne stared at Scott.

The man finally sighed. "If you want to take me in, okay. But not in front of Cassie, please."

Corinne blinked. "You already know why I'm here?"

"Why else would you be here? I knew you guys would be coming after me eventually. So, do the Avengers have their own jail? Or am I going back to San Quentin?"

"Jail?" Corinne suddenly laughed, much to Scott's confusion. "I'm not arresting you, Scott. I'm here to ask for your help."

Scott's eyebrows went up. "Oh…"

She gave him a brief rundown on what was happening. "It's going to be dangerous and slightly illegal so I understand if you can't."

"I'm in." Scott said.

That was quicker than she expected. She breathed out relievedly. "Thank you, then."

"Hey, that means I'm an Avenger now! Sorta." Scott looked sheepishly down at his getup courtesy of his daughter. "Would have liked it if I was cooler while getting recruited, though."

Cassie came bounding back with something small and glittery in her hands. A tiara matching Scott's. She went over to Corinne, reached up, and placed the tiara on her head. "There! Now you're a princess too."

After picking up Scott, she had to wait for Clint to fly them back to Germany. They spotted Clint and the twins at the rendezvous point before they spotted them.

"Retirement's treated you well." Corinne popped up behind Clint.

He jumped, face just _done_ as he turned around. Clint grinned, shaking his head. "Do that again and I'm going to have to go back to it."

"Corinne!" Two sets of arms enveloped her into a hug.

She laughed and hugged the twins back. "Hey." With everything that has occurred, it was good to see them again.

"We were worried when we saw the news." Pietro said as they pulled away from each other.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Wanda scanned her form. Her eyes lingered on Corinne's neck where the marks were partly obscured.

"Not bad enough to stop." Corinne shrugged, tugging her scarf up higher. She looked over her shoulder at Scott and waved him over. "This is Scott."

The man was starstruck, regarding the people in front of him with his mouth agape. He blinked, not believing his own eyes. "H-hi. Wow. Uh, I'm Scott."

Corinne bit her lip to prevent herself from breaking into a smile. The others chorused greetings and their own names, as unnecessary as it was.

"Jet's ready to go just ten minutes from here." Clint reminded them.

* * *

As Scott was introduced to Steve, she hopped out of the white van. Corinne went over to the Beetle where Bucky was. She watched Scott interact with Steve, amused. Being so used to her life now, sometimes she forgot how they appeared to the public.

"Hey." She acknowledged him quietly.

This time, he didn't ignore her. "Hi."

They watched all of them talk in comfortable silence. It was the calm before the storm. There was no telling what was going to happen next.

"We should get moving." Bucky finally piped up after some time.

Clint nodded. "Got a chopper lined up."

Someone spoke in German over the speakers.

Bucky listened attentively and translated. "They're evacuating the airport."

"Stark." Sam said.

"Stark?" Scott repeated.

Any ease in Steve disappeared, the captain commanding them now. "Suit up."

Once everyone got into their tactical gear, the captain told them the plan.

He would talk to Tony while they looked for the Quinjet. Everyone else was split into separate groups that were spread out. They would fight back, distract, and then unite at the Quinjet again. Then it was off to Siberia.

"Maybe I can talk to Tony, he'll understand. I know he wants the best for all of us, it's just the way things happened so quickly…" Corinne suggested to Steve.

He got a contemplative look on his face. "Alright. You and Lang are with me then."

And with that, everyone took off to their positions.

Steve made his way out to the helicopter. As planned, Tony, Rhodey, Natasha, and T'Challa intervened. Corinne watched from behind a concrete pillar as they spoke. It filled her with a staggering rush of sadness to see them divided like this. Their occasionally petty arguments were one thing, but this...this was another thing entirely.

"Anyway. Ross gave me thirty-six hours to bring you in. That was twenty-four hours ago. Can you help a brother out?"

At this point Corinne decided to teleport herself to Steve's side. "Look, we can go to Ross, talk it out, whatever needs to be done-after this. The therapist was the one who triggered Bucky's escape and he's planning to release a whole team of far more uncontrollable enhanced assassins on the world. You can bring me in after, I don't care. But we need to stop him."

Tony and Rhodey glanced at each other. Rhodey eyed her skeptically. "How do we know you're not lying?"

"I wouldn't lie about this." Corinne said, earnest.

Tony looked conflicted, but nodded. "Bring out Barnes, then we can all go fight this assassin team."

Steve immediately interjected. "We can't do that. We need him."

"No, _you_ need him." Frustration was in Tony's eyes again. "He's a volatile HYDRA assassin himself, Steve. Whether you like it or not, he could turn on us the moment we find this therapist."

"Tony…" Corinne pleaded.

"Okay, I've run out of patience. Underoos!"

Something flew overhead out of nowhere, taking Steve's shield and tying his hands together with some kind of white fiber.

"Nice job, kid." Tony said to the new red and blue costumed super. He was crouched on top of a car, vibranium shield strapped to his arm.

"Thanks!" Corinne blanched from how young this person sounded. He couldn't be more than a teenager. "Well, I could have stuck the landing a bit better, but it's just the new suit-wait, it's nothing, Mr. Stark, it's perfect, thank you-"

"Yeah, we don't really need to start a conversation." Tony replied.

The surprise was still settling in as the kid introduced himself. But that ended quickly, and her friends devolved into heated tones again.

"-I'm trying to keep you from tearing the Avengers apart!"

"You did that when you signed."

"Alright. We're done. You're going to turn Barnes over, you're going to come with us-" Tony looked over at Corinne, eyeing where she was standing. "And you? Not so much in the middle now are you?"

Corinne shook her head and walked to the middle, right between Tony and Steve. "I am. Just-these assassins will take down countries, and destroy thousands of lives."

"So that's it, then." Tony's voice wavered slightly towards the end. "You too."

Corinne breathed deeply. "I'm keeping my promise. But if you're not coming with or letting us get them..."

"Found it. The Quinjet's in hangar five, north runway." Falcon's voice came through their comms.

Hawkeye shot an arrow at Steve's restraints, and they sprung into action.

Tony went for Wanda, Pietro, and Clint. Natasha went for Scott. Rhodey went for Steve. Spider-man went for Bucky and Sam.

Her worst fears were coming to life.

_You can do this. Just keep them from hurting each other too badly. Get everyone to the Quinjet._

She bubbled Rhodey as he flew towards Steve. Spotting T'Challa making a run for Barnes, she bubbled him too. The two fought against the shield, and sweat beaded on her forehead from the effort. She saw Natasha coming towards her, and bubbled her too. Her raised arms were trembling now. Bubbles always take more energy.

"Sentinel, don't overexert yourself!" Captain America ordered. As effective as it was, it wasn't sustainable. "Drop them."

She grit her teeth, but flung and dropped them far away. Scott sidled up beside her and Steve. He tossed Steve a miniature truck. "Cap, heads up!"

"Throw it at this." He held up a tiny metal circle. "Now!"

Corinne's jaw dropped a bit as the truck grew to its full size, and promptly exploded. _Well, that should distract the others for a while._

"Heading for the Quinjet now." The super soldier relayed into his comm.

Scott, Steve, and her ran. The rest of their team joined them. They all went at a full sprint, only stopping when a ray of gold cut the ground in front of them.

"Captain Rogers." Vision floated overhead. "I know you believe what you're doing is right, but for the collective good, you must surrender now."

Tony landed in front of them with Natasha. Gradually, the rest of his side faced them on the other side of the line. The literal line dividing them.

She connected gazes with Natasha and had to look away. To be opposite who she considered family, knowing that they were about to fight each other...She'd never felt so terrified and full of dread.

"What do we do, Cap?" Sam asked.

Steve's voice was solemn. "We fight."

The knot of dread form at the pit of her stomach got worse as they started advancing. What was about to happen next will make what happened before a mere skirmish. What they just did was a warm up. She knew it.

But she still wasn't prepared for it.

When they clashed, it was pure mayhem. There was no time to think, no time to know who was fighting who.

She did what she usually did. Corinne sheltered everyone from blasts and shots when she could, not daring to do anything more. She diverted a beam from Vision. Stopped a swipe from T'Challa from reaching Bucky. Thwarted Rhodey's shots from reaching Sam's wings. She didn't just do it for 'Steve's' side either. If there was a shot that could have seriously injured the other side, she prevented it too. She redirected some of Hawkeye's arrows, sidetracked some of the things Wanda sent flying, and such. Nobody noticed in the heat of the fight.

She felt helpless all the same. No one was aiming to kill one another but as the fighting went on, it intensified. How long until someone misfires, until someone gets hit and she can't shield them? She felt a cold chill go down her spine as an image of lifeless Pietro appeared in her mind.

"Hi there!" Corinne felt her hand being forced back from directing a shield and stuck to a crate behind her. Spider-man swung into view, poised to trap her other hand.

She spun to avoid the webbing, cutting her other hand free with a small shield. Looking back up, she spun a shield just in time to deter the white gossamer. She sent some disks his way. He flipped and leaped away as if he could see them coming.

She was struck again by how young this Spider-man was. What was he doing here? What if he got hurt? "Don't you have a math test to study for or something?"

Spider-man stilled for a moment. "Actually, uh, yeah."

"You should probably go home." She ducked a surge of webbing. Then finally made him stumble backwards with a shield.

"I'm-" He launched himself from a truck to attack at a new angle. "Procrastinating!"

A shield, not her own, sliced the line he was swinging on. Spider-man sailed through the air, letting out a surprised yelp.

Corinne looked over to see Steve give her a small salute before getting webbed.

The lapse in fighting was brief, however, as Corinne had a split second to lean back to avoid a baton.

"Come on, Corinne." Natasha feinted a punch, then swept her off her feet with a swing of her leg. Corinne landed on her back with a grunt. "I taught you better than this, didn't I?"

She couldn't help the wry grin from tugging at her lips. "You did."

Using her position as an advantage, she locked her legs around Natasha's shoulders and swung around. Natasha hit the ground. The spy rolled away from a barrage of disks, but not before Corinne caught a hint of a proud smile on her face.

"Any chance you can convince Cap to stop?" Natasha let some shields ricochet off her batons.

Corinne dropped low to elude a blow to the head via baton. "You know him as well as I do. What do you think?"

"-I'll take Vision. You get to the jet." Steve's voice echoed in her ear.

"No, you get to the jet. Both of you. The rest of us aren't getting out of here." Sam replied.

"As much as I hate to admit it, if we're going to win this one, some of us might have to lose it." Clint.

"We need to focus on Broussard." Corinne shielded herself from a Widow's Bite. "I'd rather it be some of us than none."

"Alright Sam, what's the play?"

"We need a diversion. Something big."

The rest of it faded out as Corinne directed her attention to fighting Natasha. The redhead raised a brow when they came to an impasse, shield against baton. "Your team planning something?"

"Holy shit!" Spider-man suddenly exclaimed.

Corinne glanced towards his direction and did a double take. She fully swiveled around to see a _giant_ Scott holding onto Rhodey's leg. Emphasis on _giant_. Scott was now so huge they were all toy dolls in comparison.

She turned back around only to face empty air. Natasha had slipped away without a trace.

 _Okay. New goal. Get Steve and Bucky to the jet, stop anyone else from interfering._ Observing Scott, it was clear that Tony, Rhodey, and Spider-man were going to be busy for a while. Her eyes narrowed when she caught sight of T'Challa making a run for the hangar.

"Your Highness." Corinne pushed him back with a kick, whipping a disk at him for good measure.

He cocked his head just enough for it to whiz past his head. "Your Highness."

T'Challa swiped and kicked at her at a speed she barely kept up with. Those sharp, vibranium claws came at her as a blur. Every dodge was on instinct. Now and again, she had to parry an attack with a shield because she couldn't get away in time. But she had to slow him down. Steve and Bucky needed to get to Siberia.

A beam of golden light shot past her, and she turned to see it cutting a tower of the hangar. The mass of metal slid rapidly down, surely going to block Steve and Bucky from the jet.

_Get them to the jet. Get them to the jet._

Her hands shot out and a large shield caught most of the debris like a net. Scarlet magic joined her in lifting it up.

Her moment of relief was short lived, however, as her neglected opponent attacked with renewed ferocity. She saw the glint of silver near her, too close for her to avoid in time, but she could still shield-

A high pitched squeal agonized her ears.

Her concentration broke.

She felt a searing slash.

She gasped for air, then gurgled. Why wasn't there any air? She tried again, but it only made the pain worse. Something warm was gushing down her front.

The sounds of her surroundings came rushing back to her ears. People were shouting in alarm. Someone was pressing their hands against her throat while she convulsed.

"What happened?" A tinny voice said in her ear. "Who-"

"-doctor, now!" She heard distantly.

Her head felt light.

T'Challa halted in shock. He thought she would have…

" _No!_ " Wanda screamed. A silver blur zipped over almost instantly.

Pietro caught the swaying Corinne and applied pressure to the grisly gash. The steady flow didn't seem to slow. "She needs a doctor!" Pietro yelled.

Rhodey swore as he lowered the sonic cannon. He had only wanted to make her drop the shield.

"Ambulance…" Tony's faceplate went back as he gulped. Corinne's gaze was unfocused, and she didn't look aware of her situation at all. "Ambulance is on its way."

The cold reality of everything hit him, and likely everybody else, hard. The Avengers were _fighting_ each other. And this was a result of it. What were they even fighting for? Was it even worth this?

"Corinne's down." Sam said into his comm. "No. _No_. You can't turn back now. Broussard needs to be stopped. Is she?-Steve, _go_. She'll...she'll be okay. She would want you to go."

The Quinjet zoomed ahead. _Steve and Barnes._ Rhodey took off towards the plane. Sam followed. Tony's visor clinked in place as he prepared to go after it.

Corinne let out a sickening choking noise.

Wanda shushed her. "D-don't speak. Don't, please."

Tony hesitated and made the mistake of looking at her. Corinne had seemed to come to her senses, and was looking straight at him. She was shaking her head, even though it was visibly hurting her more, as she looked at the jet and him.

Even without words, he knew. He knew what she was asking of him. He clenched his eyes shut, gritting his teeth. Was Ross more important than one of his closest friends, his fellow lab partner and Avenger?

He saw golden energy from Vision streak towards the sky.

And just like that, another one of his friends was hurt.

* * *

**I spent way too much time trying to make it perfect, but at some point I just wanted to done and posted. So here it is! Hope it was good! If not feel free to tell me! This chapter's definitely got its flaws. Might add to it later.  
**   
**09.03.16.**

**Author's Note:**

> If you could let me know what you think, that'd be great. Thanks!


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